Night Speed
by Queen-Of-DollZ
Summary: The boy seemed more beast than human and yet, Astrid could've sworn he looked familiar. It was almost eerie. A 'Cloudjumper took Hiccup too' AU.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

The Chief's Wife

The night was chilly, but that was normal enough. This is Berk, after all. It's in the Meridian of Misery, twelve dayssouth of Hopeless, and a few degrees of Freezing to Death. Chilly is just one of the things this place provides. The village has been there for generations, but each buulding is brand new. The food here is gritty, tough, and tasteless like the vikings that live there. The views are top notch, however. Especially around the mornings, where if you squint really, _really_ hard, you can still see a few straggling dragons carrying off more than a week's food supply...and the occassional viking.

That's right you read that correctly. DRAGONS.

The war between dragons and vikings has been going on for years. Three hundred to be exact. Ever since vikings stepped foot on Berk, dragons have been relentlessly attacking them. And vice versa. Most people would leave after the first...ten years, but vikings have a knack for being stubborn beyond humanly possible. Every other week, a dragon raid descends upon Berk in another battle for food, freedom, and glory.

Such is tonight. Our story begins with a battle, as most viking tales do. The dragons came swiftly, under the cover of darknessas most of the villagers slept in their beds. The sound of the warning alarm shook many of the vikings, ages varied, awake as they gripped the weapons besides them (usually under the covers or pillows) and sprung from their beds. The youngest ones were secured in the houses as their parents and older siblings ran out into battle. Such was the same done to the subject of this story.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, the barely month old son of the chief, Stoick the Vast, and his wife, Valka the Outspoken. Stoick, as always, was the first one up as soon as the horn began to blow. As chief, his duty was first to his people. He already had his helmet and hammar on and was nearly out the door. "You're going to do it again, I see." At the sound of her voice, Stoick sighed.

"Valka, I do not have time for this. Our village is being destroyed as we speak. I must protect it." Said woman stood only a head below her husband with dark brown hair and eyes that look blue in the dark, yet green in the light. It was a feature that first drew Stoick to her and one that made it impossible for him to turn away if she had something to say.

She usually did.

"We need to think of our people first, Val."

"I am, Stoick! If we don't lose vikings to these raids, we lose food or shelter and we cannot go another winter like this. Please, I beg you, find some other way."

"There is no otherway, Val! We must destroy all the dragons if we want peace." Stoick sighed, "I will lead another search for the nest once the ice mel-"

"That has not worked for the last three hundred years and it won't work now! You know that, Stoick. We lose more vikings on those doomed searches than we do on these raids! Why can't you see tgat something has to change?" Valka walked up to him and grabbed his hands. Hers were tiny compared to his, but he has never raised a hand to him. "I love you, Stoick, but I don't want to raise Hiccup to hate like this. Please, we must bring peace a difderent way. Dragons cannot b-" Before she could finish, a loud blast shook their feet as roars and screams of rage echoed through the air. Stoick pulled his hands away and rushed out the door.

"We can discuss this later, Val! Protect our boy!" As he rushed off, Valka watched him, worry etched on her face. With every raid and search, she feared she'd never see him again.

Little did anyone know she was right.

Valka watched in horror as a Monsterous Nightmare crashed in front of their house with a Viking running up to kill it, axe raised. The dragon glanced at her with pleading eyes. 'I don't want to die,' it seemed to say, 'please...don't let me die.' She ran up, screaming for him to stop. "You'll only make it worse!" With her distraction, the dragon flew off, leaving a relieved Valka and a very angry viking. As he stormed off, shooting an irritated look her way, Valka heard aloud yet familiar cry. Spinning around, she saw a strange dragon climbing into their house while it blazed in flames. "Hiccup!" She raced back to the house, faster than she had ever run before. Before she knew it, she stood in her son's nursery with a sword, staring in disbelief.

There the dragon crouched, larger than any Nightmare she had ever seen, over the crib where her son lay. He had frills lining his face, which was flat for the most part. He seemed to have four wings, not two, and spines lining his back with a long fanned out tail. His large, bright yellow eyes stared down at Hiccup with immense curiosity. He had probably never seen a human so small and unafraid. She gasped when she realised his claws were rocking the crib to soothe Hiccup, gaining his attention. The dragon stared at her and she stared back. Slowly, she set the sword down, making the dragon tilt his head, frills slowly moving up, making his eyes seem...wider? Ever the attentive mother, Valka hurried to Hiccup's crib, where the baby was cooing and reaching for the large dragon. He was completely unaware of the fact that it could swallow him whole. The dragon continued to stare, as if transfixed at the two, as he leaned forward and sniffed them both. Another loud blast shook the house and the dragon's irises narrowed, a trait Valka immediately identified as danger. The dragon swiveled his head around and glared through the large opening he had made as the raid waged on, as if he didn't like it here.

And apparently, he didn't want her or her baby there either, for he scooped them up into his wings as she screamed. Stoick burst through immediately, "Valka!"

"Stoick!" The dragon was fast and soon she was miles in the air with a wailing babe in her arms.

"Hiccup!"

"Stoick!" And just like that, the raid was over.

* * *

 **First off, I freaking LOVE HTTYD. Second, is it just me or is everyone else afraid of HTTYD 3...because I've been hearing some things that my feels can't even imagine handling.**


	2. Chapter 2

Icy Waters

The ocean below them was dark and full of tantalizing secrets that only a special few were privy to. The sound of wind rushing past their ears was like a neverending minstrel of song, dedicated to their power. The black dragon and his rider shot through the sky, faster than any arrow could hope to achieve. The dragon's scales blended in with the waning night, making him invisible to the untrained eye. His neon green eyes were the only thing that could be deciphered against the dark, but only by sheer chance. His rider was equally as hidden, wearing an armor made of black leather and left over scales. The buckles and compartments hid every essential object he might need on his extended trips. Knives, maps, a compass, his sword, and journals were a few things. The powerful beats of his dragon's wings drew them further out into the glacial planes of his nest, their home.

The moon was lowering farther and farther when the rider turned to check. He made a slight chuffing sound, one his companion picked up and sped farther, twisting and turning between icy and snowy pillars. The pair exploded through the snow once they came to a gigantic glacier, formed with icy, snow, and rock. The duo angled downward with natural grace, both fully intuned to the other's movements, and landed silently on the frozen grounds. They had landed moments before the sun began to rise, much to their pleasure.

They had won their race, again.

The sky began to turn a burning orange and red, much like their beloved Cloudjumper's scales. The twinkling stars slowly blinked out of sight and behind the pale blue skies. The sun grew in strength and splendor, drowning out the pristine moon until it began to dominate the skies. The awakening roars of terrible terrors drew the pairs attention, but they decided to lay down and pay it no mind. _"Brother-in-Heart, victorious yes yes. Faster than sun yes yes!"_ The rider laughed, scratching his beloved friend behind the ears.

 _"Yes yes winners. Faster than sun, faster than day."_ With a loud yawn, the rider reached up and undid his leather mask, pulling out his chocolate brown hair and revealing eyes as green as his night fury's. He leaned against his dragon brother and felt all his muscles relax as they took a breathe. The warmth of his dragon and the chill of the air was an addicting sensation to him and, with the light glowing against the ice, there was no place they would rather be.

"Do ye plan on freezing in yer sleep here, son?" Hiccup's eyes shot open a couple hours later. He was still outside the nest, in the same spot, with Toothless asleep next to him. It must have been breakfast time, for dragons were beginning to emerge from the nest to hunt for themselves. His mother stood above him with a stern but amused expression. Cloudjumper looked on with a slight interested/amused look on his face. The full grown stormcutter had helped his rider raise her hatchling as best he could, so he was used to Hiccup's quirks. However, he rarely fell asleep right outside the nest. That was new.

"Hello, Mum." Unlike when speaking to the dragons, Hicup's Norse sounded like someone who was fluent with it as a second language. It was a bit rough at times with a tendency to sound sarcastic. Valka reached out her hand and pulled him to his feet, allowing him to reach her height. While he dusted the rocks and snow from his clothes, she took a moment to get a good look at him. It had been a good eighteen years since the raid that changed both their lives. After the initial bout of fear, Valka had realized that Cloudjumper was trying to protect them from what he deemed danger. She had began to make plans to return to Berk, to return to Stoick.

Then she awoke to a Monsterous Nightmare, hovering over Hiccup's cradle in a protective stance while she slept. It became impossible after that. How could she return to a place of neverending violence and hate like Berk and hope to raise Hiccup the same way? He was much safer here than at Berk, where he could be ridiculed and bullied for being weaker or different. She didn't want to raise Hiccup with a kill or be killed mentality, so she raised him in the nest of the Bewilderbeast. She raised him alongside Toothless, whom they found as an abandoned egg near one of the entrances to the cave. How could she possibly leave him behind?

Now, years later, she was glad she stayed. Before, on Berk, all she did was support Stoick in a war she did not believe in. Now, she gladly contributed to the betterment of her nest with rescuing dragons from traps and village kill rings. She rescued them from either a lifetime of enslavement or certain death. Now, her son joined her in her quest to make the world a better, safer place for all dragons.

"Honestly, Hiccup, what if someone spotted ye? I'm sure they'd haul ye to the nearest village." Hiccup shuddered as if the thought was horrific. In truth, villages and vikings interested him to a point. He knew he was not a dragon like Cloudjumper or Toothless, so he had to be a viking's child. Whose child, he did not know and was conflicted on whether or not he wanted to know.

"Viking ships stay away from here. I was safe with Brother." At the mention of him, Toothless opened his eyes and spotted Valka. The night fury yawned and stood, stretching out like cat with wings.

 _"Mother welcome morning."_ The drowsy dragon rubbed his cheek against hers in a sign of affection. She smiled and scratched his scales.

 _"Welcome morning my child."_ With that, Valka jerked with her head in the direction of the other dragons, motioning them to get ready to hunt for breakfast. Hiccup cooed tiredly before getting onto Toothless, who was equally groggy. The two were nocturnal, mostly, so they usually slept until late afternoon. Then they flew around at night, guarding the nest and exploring nearby icy caverns.

She made it a point to make them eat breakfast.

As she watched them take off towards their favorite fishing grounds, she felt a pang in her chest. The ever shrinking image of her son with his back turned and his future uncertain made her want to cry because she knew it was soon.

Soon, her own hatchling would leave the nest himself.

* * *

Though Hiccup prefered to sleep the morning away, he could not deny the fact that the early sky was a beauty in itself. Then again, he always thought the sky was beautiful, whether it was as clear as a mountain pool or full of enraged storm clouds. Toothless shared his sentiments. Honestly, up in the air was where they would rather spend most of their time. Sometimes, Valka had to fly up herself just to get them down. As Toothless watched the waters below for the familiar silvery sheen of fish scales, Hiccup kept a lookout for ships.

This area was usually deserted by dragons because vikings and trappers found it easier to sail this area, but Hiccup and Toothless used it frequently. Humans don't usually sail this early in the day and they were fast enough to evade them anyway.

They usually brought back the biggest fish from here too. " _Brother in Heart sees that yes no?"_ Toothless warbled in a cautious tone. Hiccup had seen it. It was a viking ship, a lone one. He silently urged Toothless higher into the clouds, all thoughts of eating gone. He wanted to circle it a bit, see if he could frighten them off. As they got within range of it, they began to see it much more clearly.

It had been attacked, obviously. The sail was torn to shreds, the mast and deck had arrows embedded in it. It had scratches and holes placed randomly all over the place. Vikings lay about, either knocked out or dead. Obviously, they had run into trouble. _"Land yes yes?"_

 _"Why?"_

 _"Curious."_ Even their most careful landing could not prevent the damaged deck from squeaking. The two landed on the ship, Hiccup carefully sliding off Toothless, and began to take a closer look. It looked worse up close. In some parts, there was water spilling in. It was a miracle the boat stayed afloat. Broken swords, shields, arrows, and axes lay everywhere. Blood was splattered all over, fires had been set to food storages, and vikings trapped in the throes of death littered the deck. Further in the cabins, corpses that had fought with their lives lay. Toothless sniffed every viking in hopes of finding out what happened.

 _"Life brother life!"_ Hiccup immediately went back out to him and saw him sniffing a young female. He nealt beside her and put his ear to her chest, listening for a heartbeat. It was strong, but she wouldn't wake up. He took a close look at her. She was...in a way...gorgeous. Her hair was like sunrays during summer, warm and enticing. She seemed thin, but a quick touch told him that she was incredibly strong. A small nose, tiny chin, and adorably frail looking neck did not hide the fact that she could be dangerous.

Especially since she had an axe in her hand, with a solid grip even while sleep.

If she didn't wake soon, she'd freeze out here.

 _"Brother in Heart find life yes yes?"_ Toothless got on the job, searching the rest of the deck for more survivors, but to no avail. They had obviously all been killed in an attack. How she survived was a mystery.

 _"Unsafe yes yes leave now now!"_ Despite the fact that vikings had been killing dragons for centuries, the sight of so many bodies unnerved Toothless. Death did not settle well with his nose. Hiccup had to agree, it was unsafe here. He had to let the alpha know about what they had discovered. Hiccup was about to climb back onto his brother's back when he heard a groan. He turned back to stare at the girl, who was struggling to wake and failing miserably. _"Brother in Heart? Leave yes?"_

 _"...Female help yes. Cannot leave. Bring."_ Toothless hissed in disagreement.

 _"No bring no! Dangerous female no!"_

 _"Will die! Must bring!"_

 _"No no no no no!"_

 _"Please?"_ Hiccup looked torn. He couldn't leave her just like he couldn't leave an injured Whispering Death. She needed him. Toothless glared before huffing and allowing him to pick up the injured girl and put her on his back.

 _"Angry Mother you deal."_ Hiccup couldn't stop himself. He laughed.

* * *

This was it.

This was the day.

This was the day Hiccup died.

Or at least it felt like it. After putting the girl on his bed and tending to her many wounds, he found himself explaining to a recently returned Valka and Cloudjumper why there even was an unconscious viking girl in his bed. He did it alone too, since Toothless conviently disappeared.

Needless to say, Cloudjumper was pretty irritated with him.

And Valka was furious.

So, Hiccup had hidden himself amongst the Monsterous Nightmares, who found the entire situation hilarious as a livid Stormcutter and equally as livid mother tried to hunt him down. The great thing about having a Night Fury for a brother is the fact that you learn very creative ways of hiding.

Case in point, hiding underneath a darkly colored Nightmare with a bright red Nightmare endlessly teasing him. Hookfang had been a hatchling when Hiccup had arrived and, as such, was a frequent peer to talk to when he needed time away from Toothless.

However, that gave him free reign to laugh at him too.

 _"Why bring viking here? They smell."_

 _"...Yes, but she smells good yes."_

 _"They are loud."_

 _"Yes and Fire Skins are too yes."_ Hookfang huffed smoke at him, causing him to cough. He froze and listened, but Cloudjumper's roars and his mother's calls were still far from here. _"No no smoke no!"_ Hiccup hissed. Hookfang laughed at him before his own mother grumbled at him to quiet down. She was expecting another clutch soon and was cranky. Hookfang grumbled while Hiccup stifled a laugh.

Which turned to a yelp when he felt a strong tug on his foot and was dragged from beneath Hookfang's older brother, Jaggedtooth, and hung upside down in front of a very angry Valka. Cloudjumper growled with his boot in his mouth ehile shaking him slightly causing the young human hatchling to yelp. "So there ye are...ye daft, irresponsible muttonhead!"

 _"Put down! Father in Heart put down!"_ Hiccup struggled against Cloudjumper's hold, but the stormcutter just shook him harder.

 _"Mother speaks hatchling listens!"_

"I cannot believe you would jeapordize the safety of our nest by bringing a girl here! Are ye out of yer mind, young man!? They could've followed ye here!" Hiccup shook his head, still hanging.

"No other ship. All vikings dead."

"The ship could've been hiding! I mean, to think, ye would do something so idiotic! Ye usually drive them away!" Hiccup was really glad he slept upside with Toothless or else he'd be sick. Speaking of whom, he did see two bright green eyes behind Valka in the shadows, chuckling. "And don't think you're off the hook, Toothless!" Hiccup smirked at his surprised brother. "How many times have I told ye, son? Vikings are bloodthirsty, hard headed savages who don't have any want for peace. They cannot be trusted." Hiccup was quiet.

"She could have died. She was alone. Like us. I could not leave her there." Valka sighed before having Cloudjumper put him down. Hiccup stood up slowly, letting the blood flow back into his legs.

"...We'll figure out what to do with her later, but she is _yer_ responsibility." Hiccup agreed, he was the one to bring her. "Now go make sure she's still asleep. I have to go speak with the alpha...and yer grounded for the next three days."

"Ugh...yes, mother."

 _"Toothless no fly three days no!"_

 _"But...ugh, yes, Mother in Heart..."_

* * *

Valka is NOT a happy troop, so there will be no happy groups. Don't worry, boys, she does this because she loves you.


	3. Chapter 3

The Boy with a Dragon Family

Darkness.

Darkness and nothing but darkness was all she saw.

Now, Astrid was used to the dark. There was no wasting precious candlelight during the night when you should use it for the winters on Berk. Astrid learned pretty quickly that being afraid of the dark was not what warriors do. But this was not any ordinary dark. It was so dark she couldn't see her hands or feet. It was so dark, she was sure a Monsterous Nightmare could be right next to her and she would not know. This dark was probably the birthplace of Night Furies.

And it was quiet.

Way too quiet.

The last thing she remembered was being on a ship, headed North for reinforcements for Berk. They were going on another hunt for the nest and she wanted a piece of the action. She could feel it this time, they would find the dragons' nest and end their reign of terror. But then they were ambushed and it happened so quickly that she didn't even see the attacker. She did, however, see their crest.

Berserkers.

So, was this darkness Valhalla? Because, if so, she felt ripped off. Astrid really hoped that she was just transitioning and that Valhalla didn't actually suck.

But then sound began to return. It was subtle at first, but there. A soft trickle, it sounded like water. Lots of water and drips around her. She also heard rustling, like when something was in the trees or bushes. So, was Valhalla a forest? Because that wasn't so bad. She could do a forest.

Then she began to hear the creatures. Chirps, snarls, growls, humming...all sounds she was all too familiar with.

...What the Hel were dragons doing in Valhalla?

Astrid really hoped she didn't have to spend the afterlife fighting dragons. She'd love a break. Soon, light began to encroach on the dark, slowly chasing it away. Astrid braced herself, ready to stand before Odin when her eyes began to open. It was fuzzy at first and she blinked a few times, but it became clear tht she was not in Valhalla. The place she was in was much different.

She looked around, not moving her head, but she could feel herself on a strange bed of furs and pelts. It looked like a cave made into a makeshift room with a couple of tunnels within the walls, claw marks all around. One was just at her feet, heading up. Another was at her head, possibly a quick way in. And another was above her in the middle of the cave where a gush of light poured in. There was a makeshift shelf beside the wall, constructed of two wooden planks and four medium sized rocks. It had a random assortment of papers, broken pieces of flint tied to sticks (pencils?), and...jewels?

A nice sized bowl full of jewels and precious stones was right there too.

She sat up slowly, groaning and then looking down at herself. Her armor was gone, replaced by a very worn tunic and a pair of stitched together leggings. She could feel the bandaging around her abdomen, arms, and forehead. She also smelled herbs, so whoever patched her together had taken the time to prevent infection. As soon as Astrid looked up, she screamed.

Two pairs of bright green eyes stared at her from the hole above. One pair was connected to a large body covered in midnight black scales, a small row of short spikes, and a pair of large wings. The dragon stared down at her curiously, but cautiously. The second pair of eyes was connected to a boy who was casually sitting beside said dragon, as if the dragon was not even there. He had dark brown hair with a reddish tinge to it and seemed to be a bit on the lean side. His outfit consisted of black leather with scales on it and lots of pockets and straps. His nose was strong, slightly crooked with high cheekbones and a pretty firm looking chin. He even had what looked like the start of a beard.

So, he was sorta cute, but he was not as important as the dragon that would surely tear them both to pieces. Astrid jumped out of the bed and instinctively reached for her axe.

Which was gone.

He had it on his lap.

Astrid stared at him before giving him a death glare. The boy seemed unmoved at all, but the dragon returned the look. It seemed to be making it clear that she was no threat. "Unless you want me gut you, you'll give me my axe." The boy said nothing, but he did raise an eyebrow.

Silence.

Then the dragon began to snarl and hiss at the boy, the look of danger gone from its face and replaced with one that screamed sarcasm. The boy chuckled and started growling back. Astrid felt dread creep up on her. He sounded just like a dragon, gnashing his teeth and clawing the air as he spoke while systematically keeping her in his peripheral vision. The dragon nudged the boy with his head, grunting, as the boy laughed and scratched the dragon's chin.

She had to get away from here.

She could not be trapped with the Spawn of Loki and his pet demon.

She took a step back, turned to the hole above where her head had rested, and dove into it. It was short, dark, and uneven like it was dug into. She stumbled through and made it into a living room like place. There was an old table, obviously made by hand. And a large circle of rocks, large and small, surrounding a blackened pit. A mix-match pile of banged up pots and pans hung on the walls. It was sparse, improvised out of pure necessity. Holes were carved out like cupboards, holding old jars and herbs tied together. A few torn, old maps littered the table. But Astrid only saw this in passing as she ran to the large opening where she slid to a full stop. She was exhausted. She was sure she had reopened whatever damage was done to her stomach. But she was also shocked.

Dragons.

Everywhere.

It felt like a dragon paradise, with a huge, crystal clear lake, icy hanging from the sky with rocks placed artistically. Ice mixing with stalagmites helped support dragons that hung from all sides. Green, flowering cliffs jutted out all around her with a large group of nests in different random spots. She saw Deadly Nadders, Gronkles, Terrible Terrors, Monsterous Nightmares, Hideous Zipplebacks, and a plethora of dragons she had only seen in the Dragon Manual. They flew by her, some only giving her a glance. They played, they napped, they ate, it was both amazing and horrifying. "You need rest," a thick, slightly rough voice said behind her.

Astrid spun round to see the dragon boy hop down from a tunnel above the cave. The dragon was close behind, keeping its' suspicious gaze on her. She stepped back, adopting a fighting stance. He didn't look threatened, but he cocked his head to the side.

Like a dragon.

"Look, I don't know who you are or what you want, but you won't get it from me?" He crouched low, in a strange sitting position and stared at her. He stared at her for a while before smiling.

"You have sky eyes." She blinked.

"...Sky eyes?"

"Yes. I did not know vikings had sky eyes."

"What are...sky eyes?"

He pointed up to a small crevice where dragons were coming and going. She could see the sky from there. However, it was way too high to escape from. "Your eyes are the same as the sky." Astrid blinked as she processed his words. He was...saying her eyes are blue?

"...You mean they're...blue." Hiccup blinked.

"Oh! Blue...bluuue?" She watched him roll the word in his tongue over and over. Then the dragon tried it, but it just came out as a strange cooing noise. "Viking words are hard..." He looked at her, "you need rest, Sky Eyes. You are hurt."

"First off, it's Astrid. Second, where am I? And third, who are you?" The boy crept closer, cautious. It was probably because he thought she was scared, but she'd take him down if she had to.

"Umm. I am called Rides the Night. But Mum calls me Hiccup. And this is Races the Night, but we call him Toothless." Hiccup was weird alright, naming a dragon. 'Toothless' warbled excitedly at him, but kept focused on her. "You are in our nest. It is ruled by our alpha, the Bewilderbeast. Now, will you come?" Astrid shook her head.

"No way, I'm getting out of here and you can't stop me." Astrid turned and walked down a path that was obviously used a lot. Hiccup yelped and jumped in her path, stopping her. "Move!" He gnashed her teeth, making her back up.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I mean no. If you go down there, you will get attacked. It's where the Fire Skins rest."

"What are Fire Skins?" She was getting real tired of his jokes.

"I do not know the viking words for my brethren...ummmm..." He looked around and pointed. Astrid took a glance and saw a pair of Monsterous Nightmares climbing up a wall.

"Monsterous Nightmares..."

"Why are they called nightmares? They are not scary." Hiccup was confused. All the Monsterous Nightmares he knew were either extremely childish or sarcastic, but not scary. Astrid stared at him like he had grown another head. He nodded his head in the direction of the cave, but she crossed her arms. There was no way she'd-

Her legs gave out. Thankfully, Hiccup caught her before she hit the ground. "What the-"

"You see now? You are very weak. You must rest until you are well." The way he spoke was like a mother scolding a sick child. Astrid growled as he picked her up and carried her back. Unlike her, he navigated the tunnel perfectly fine and then he set her back on the bed. "This is where I sleep. You can sleep here. Are you hungry?"

"...A little," she grumbled. Hiccup nodded enthusiastically before turning to Toothless, who did not let her out of his sight. He began to trill and coo excitedly at the dragon as it responded back and left through the hole by her feet. "What are you doing?"

"I asked him to get some food."

"You speak...dragon..." He was crazy.

"Dragon Tongue." Yep.

Crazy.

* * *

By the time Toothless returned, Valka was back as well. Hiccup had been animatedly trying to get the dangerous viking girl, who he named Sky Eyes, to speak to him. Honestly, Toothless didn't know why his brother compared her to their wonderful sky. Vikings like her had no right being in any way associated with it, but that was his choice. Toothless would sooner call her Smells of Blood, but Hiccup scolded him.

Anyway, Valka was returning from her afternoon flight when she spotted Toothless dragging a basket of dried fruit towards Hiccup's room. _"No eat Toothless no sick."_ Fruit generally gave Toothless gas, especially bananas.

 _"No eat Toothless. Female eat yes."_ Valka blinked in surprise. So she was up finally. Valka listened intently as Hiccup's voice echoed through his tunnel, mostly questions with very short answers. Valka took the bowl and put it back, instead retrieving a bowl and filling it with some leftover stew. It was the only thing she could cook without burning it. She went inside the room herself and came to see her son sitting in front of the girl with a look of fascination.

Figures, since he had only seen one viking woman up close.

His mother.

Clearing her throat, she caught both their attention. The girl was attractive, she had to admit. And she seemed to be around Hiccup's age, so that may have made him more curious. Her hair was the type of blonde people dreamt of and she had crystal blue eyes. Her whole presence screamed warrior, as well. "I see yer up, lass. Good. I'm sure yer curious." She walked over and handed her the bowl with a spoon. She quickly grabbed it, shoveling the stew into her mouth. Hiccup watched with rapt attention as the girl inhaled the food. She looked at him.

"...Can I help you?"

"You are very hungry. Should I get more?"

"I'm good,, thanks."

"Hiccup, give the girl some space." Reluctantly, he backed off and went down the tunnel only to return with some fruit for himself.

"Did you find anything, Mum?"

"Aye, it's as ye said. No survivors. I towed the ship as far to the nearest island as I could without Cloudjumper bein' spotted." The girl looked at them.

"Wait...what ship...? Okay, where am I and where are the other vikings?" Hiccup rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"They're dead, lass." She stared at her.

"No...they-"

"Hiccup can tell ye more of it." She stared at him as he sighed.

"I was fishing with Toothless. We saw your..umm...ship. You were attacked and you were the only one alive. I took you back here to save you. You would have frozen if I didn't." She stared at him.

"But...how did you get me here?"

"We flew." Valka held her hand up, silencing him.

"That's enough for today. Get some rest, we'll talk more later. Come along, Hiccup." She stood stiffly, not wanting to put her guard down. Hiccup grumbled a bit, wanting to stay. Valka hissed quietly before he sighed and made to follow. Then he turned and smiled at her.

"We won't be far. Yell if you need us. Sleep well, Sky Eyes."

* * *

Berk.

It's a cold, forboding hunk of rock on the Meridian of Misery. And at times, it truly was miserable. The food was tough and gritty. Those who ate it were just as such. The winters were harsh, the summers had snow, and the fall had storms. The pests were giant, scaly winged beasts with fiery breath. The vikings were giant, scar riddled savages with equally hot breath and a thirst for glory. Today, like many days, was somber especially with the news they had gotten from the Meatheads Tribe. They had stumbled across a destroyed Berkian ship with all passengers dead, some missing. The food had been burnt, the sails torn, swords were embedded in the mast and deck. A total of sixteen vikings dead, when seventeen had left.

There was no sign of Astrid Hofferson.

The lass had always been brave. She placed first in dragon training and, thus, got to kill the Monsterous Nightmares. She had fully dedicated herself to the preservation of Berk and all of its allies. She had fought in every raid, battle, and match. She had men lining up with proposals for her hand in marriage, each family hoping to have the courageous Hofferson blood in the family.

But, it seems Loki had decided to be fickle and tore her from their lives.

There was no way Astrid Hofferson the Loyal would still be alive when all her shipmates were dead. She must have fallen off the ship and died in the watery depths of the sea. Not knowing how she died did not bode well with friends or family, but it was the card they were dealt with. However, Stoick could sympathize completely, having suffered a similar fate with his wife and infant son.

Most blamed the situation on the dragons, saying that they had killed them in cold blood. Others blamed the Outcasts, other still blamed the Berserkers, and a specific few said they heard rumors of Romans sailing the icy waters. Whomever the culprit, Stoick vowed revenge on them. "Any news?" The chief looked up from his ale at Gobber, his best friend and confidante of many years. The man had been with him through his fall out with Alvin, his courtship of Valka, and his loss of his family. He had seen Stoick at his best and been witness to his worst. When many were too afraid to talk to him, Gobber was ready to slam his head to the ground and tell Stoick what was what.

He was the best friend a man could have.

"Not a peep. We searched the ship up and down, but its too random to be Romans, too far for Outcasts, and all the food was simply destroyed and left to rot, not taken. That rules out dragons. But I don't think the Berserkers would simply attack, especially under a treaty."

"Even with that psychopath, Dagur?" The mere name of the Berserker chief made Stoick glare. He had come into power at fifteen years old, and was as unstable as a tornado and just as lethal. The rumors were that Dagur got control of the tribe by killing his father, then framing his second in command, and executing him. He was a loose cannon with a thirst for blood, a hunger for war, and a lust for destruction. He killed any who stood in his way, be they man or beast.

Stoick watched him kill a dragon once and vowed to never do so again.

The look of pure, untainted, unbridled terror in that Monsterous Nightmare's eyes was enough to make even Mildew want to beg for the creature's life.

"Aye. He's insane, but not stupid. The treaty stands with the entire archipelegoes. If the Berserkers attack even one ship, he faces not only that tribe's wrath, but the wrath of every tribe. No exceptions. It's what keeps us alive." The treaty had been in effect for generations. If the tribes had to worry about both dragons and other vikings, they'd be done for. Even the Outcasts were too busy fighting dragons to bother with rival tribes.

Even for Dagur, that would be an idea to risky.

"So, what do we do? We just lost seventeen people and five others in the raid last week." Gobber was usually one for being in high spirits, but even this had him depressed. The large viking sat beside the chief, taking up a mug for himself. The Hoffersons were wailing about their daughter, along with other mourning families. The food storages were cut in half due to last week's raid. Morale was down significantly.

Stoick was at a dead end for once. With winter fast approaching, it would not be long before the ice set in.

Finally, he sighed. "We fortify the island, send out some fishing boats to catch as many fish as possible. No time to be picky, either. I also want hunting parties to bring in as many boars as they can, SAFELY." It seemed that they were done hunting for the nest, at least until the ice was gone. Stoick just hoped the beasts would leave them be for now.

* * *

 **I kinda figured Hiccup would take the concept of names a bit differently here. While Valka obviously calls him "Hiccup" or "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III" (when he's in trouble), he's spent his whole life surrounded by dragons. And I think dragons would likely name each other by their most prominent feature or trait. Toothless is a Night Fury and is usually seen flying at night. Thus, all the other dragons call him "Races the Night". Hiccup rides Toothless, at leeeeeeast...ALWAYS, so the dragons would call him "Rides the Night" So, Hiccup's human name will be spoken by humans. Dragons will call him his dragon name.**

 **Valka and Cloudjumper will probably be different. Since Hiccup is Valka's child, Hiccup can also be identified as "Human Hatchling". Cloudjumper will just call him "Human Child" since he is viewed as Hiccup's dad here.**


	4. Chapter 4

Living with dragons

If Astrid thought she'd be able to get a good night's rest, she was tragically mistaken. The nest did not sleep, ever. At first, she prepared to just sleep through the day. All dragons are nocturnal, right? But that idea was quickly thrown out the window when all she heard was wings flapping, roaring, growling, hissings, yapping, grumbling, groaning, and stomping. Plus, Hiccup's excited shrieks seemed to pierce the air repeatedly Valka came in twice to check on her and, when Astrid asked about the noise, laughed. "Many dragons sleep at night. And right now, some Monsterous Nightmares are fighting to impress females."

"Wait...so, that's fighting?"

"That's right, lass. The whole nest is out watching. Dragons love a good fight jus' like vikings." So, that was the noise. While still not trusting of her scaly neighbors, Astrid was not against watching a good brawl. And if she got to see some dragon blood, well who was she to judge? It took a good amount of begging, but Valka finally consented to letting her out of bed. Luckily, she said they were in the clearing below them, so they had pretty good seats.

As it was, dragons had piled all around, roaring and stomping their claws as a pair of massive Nightmares squared off in a fit of wrathful frustration over the same female, a rather young looking maroon. Monsterous Nightmare named Scales of Rubies. Hiccup was sitting atop Toothless, who was holding onto the rocky walls below them, roaring alongside their brethren. Astrid felt torn between wanting to slip away from the dragons and wanting to sit still. Valka was kind enough to stay by her, perhaps to be a comfort. And it would have been.

If a gigantic stormcutter hadn't decided to swoop down and land right beside them.

Astrid could barely handle the Night Fury a good eight meters below them. The stormcutter was not even three feet away. Valka noticed her wide eyed look and laughed again. "Calm yerself, lass. This is jus' my dragon, Cloudjumper. He won't harm ye. Pull a knife on him, though, and he might not be so sweet." Said dragon snorted and turned his attention back to the fight.

The Nightmares circled each other, about to go toe to toe. The bigger one, probably older, raised his head higher in an attempt to simply scare the other one off. He raised his wings and roared, obviously threatening and boasting at the same time. The younger one was not put off, releasing a roar of his own before they charged at each other. With enough force to tear a ship in half, the two dragons slammed their horns together, trying to force the other to the ground. The dragons around snarled and egged them on. The female watched attentively.

Finally, when neither dragon was on the ground, they tore apart from each other. The smaller one jumped into the air, a risky move since he left his underbelly exposed. The older one snapped up his tail and threw his rival down back into the ground. He jumped onto him and soon, it became a wrestling match. The younger one latched onto the older one's throat and soon, in all the dust, all there was to see was claws, horns, and teeth.

"Why don't they set themselves on fire?" Valka smiled.

"Because every dragon has fire, lass. The female wants to see who can fight even if they're out of shots." It seemed to go on forever with no clear winner. At times, the older one seemed to have his opponent on the run. At others, it seemed like the younger one had the upper hand. Astrid found herself just as interested as the dragons as the fight progressed. Finally, the older one misplaced a claw and slipped. Exhaustion seemed to catch up with him and he was forced to the ground by his contender. With a fierce roar, the match was decided and the dragons surrounding them roared in applause. Astrid stared, waiting for the winner to deliver the lethal blow.

It never came.

The victor simply got off the other Nightmare, snarled at him, and crept over to the female. They purred, rubbed heads together, and flew off to a secluded part of the nest to do Thor knows what. Astrid blinked confused, "wait...that's it? He's just gonna let him live?" As she said this, Hiccup and Toothless scaled up the wall to their spot. The two looked hyped up from the excitement. Hiccup's face was flushed from all the roaring and snarling and Toothless' tail was wagging as if it had a mind of its own.

"Sky Eyes ! You saw, right? Bites like Snake won Scales like Rubies! They are mates! They will have eggs!" Hiccup had known Bites like Snake for a long time and had always thought the two would make a good pair. When he noticed Astrid's confusion, he calmed down slightly. "Is...not good?"

"No, it's just...he let the other one go. Dragons aren't supposed to do that." Now Hiccup was confused. Valka groaned. This was gonna be bad.

"Why? I am confused."

"Dragons always go for the kill." Hiccup honestly did not understand this phrase. He knew what the words meant, however he never heard them said in that sentence. He glanced at his mother to clarify.

 _"Dragons kill dragons. Dragons kill humans. Always."_

At that, Hiccup snorted and growled. Just like a dragon, he did not appreciate the idea that they mindlessly killed for fun. It was not true in the slightest. "Dragons do not...go for kill. Dragons fight. Bites like Snake won. Fight is over. No kill." Now Astrid was still lost. "No need for kill, so no kill."

"What are you talking about? I've seen dragons rip through men like they were mutton! I watched houses burn to ashes with children in them! Dragons just kill and eat." She was flabbergasted. How could they even think dragons weren't killing machines? Surely they saw all the raids and the carnage dragons caused. Valka stepped between the two before they could start arguing. Astrid was stuck here, so she might as well keep things peaceful.

"Hiccup, ye remember about how I told ye about why vikings hate dragons?"

"Yes."

"Astrid is just saying what _she_ knows and no different. Don't get upset just because she says that." Hiccup still looked irritated.

"But dragons no kill. Dragons kill for food. Dragons kill for safety. Dragons no kill for..." He paused. _"...Fun?"_

"Fun. Dragons don't kill for fun." Valka relaxed when she saw Hiccup relax as well, momentarily distracted by his argument by learning a new viking word. It always amused him to speak like a viking, perhaps because only he and his mother could.

"How can you say those things with all the raids going on?" Now Valka just had to placate Astrid. The young viking sure did have the stubbornness about her, that was for sure. In many ways, she reminded Valka of herself in her younger years. She was brash, determined, and sure of her place in the world...somewhat. That caused Valka to be a bit more...understanding of her predicament. Astrid stared at her, almost smugly, taking her silence as a sign of guilt. So, surprise dawned on her when Valka smiled slyly.

"Hiccup, ye know what we forgot?" He glanced back at them, having been watching a pair of Scuttleclaw hatchlings wrestle. "We forgot to introduce her to the alpha." At her words, his eyes widened and he shrieked, growling and hissing as if he forgot Astrid didn't speak dragon. "Why don't ye take the lass down there so the alpha knows she's here?"

"Wait...ALPHA?" Astrid was no idiot. She knew what an alpha was. It was just another way of saying chief...The chief dragon!? "Uuuuuuuuuh...D-do we have to?" Hiccup grunted.

"Yes! Alpha is ruler. The alpha must know." Before Astrid could protest any more, Hiccup had scooped her up in his arms and began walking down the trail she had attempted to go down earlier. Distractedly, she noticed that he was definately strong. His muscles were not bulging like Snotlout's, but hard, almost rock-like. He wasn't wearing the armor he had when he rescued her (not that she knew that), so his tunic allowed Astrid to feel him a bit better.

Not that she was purposely feeling him, of course! She was just unconsciously noting that he had abs. She blushed before grumbling that she could walk. Hiccup refused, stating that she would tire out if she walked all the way and it was faster this way. As they walked, Hiccup pointed out all the dragons with Astrid relaying the viking names for them. Spikey Tails were Deadly Nadders. Rock Hides were Gronckles. Double Heads were Hideous Zipplebacks. All of the dragons' names for themselves were straight forward and showcased their most prominent features. "Vikings have strange words. Why?"

"What do you mean we have strange words? You're the one growling and hissing."

"Is way we speak."

"Well, same here." They walked up an incline and came to stop at a lofty ledge, devoid of any nests. Hiccup put her on her feet, staying near to support her, as he looked down over the edge. Astrid looked too. All she saw was a massive amount of snow and ice floating in the lake below-wait.

The snow is moving.

What looked like snow turned into a ginormous, icy white dragon with red tipped frills surrounding its head like a tribal crown. Spikes traveled down with beast in two rows, nestled between two wings that looked too small for any flight, so Astrid just assumed they were swimming. It groaned and raised its head further, lifting it's massive tusks and opening a pair of eyes that could easily fit a dozen of her in.

This...creature was magnificant.

There was no other way of describing it. Astrid felt it staring down into the deepest recesses of her soul, taking her apart bit by bit and revealing every vulnerability. She felt exposed under this king's gaze. It could've come directly from Odin himself because this dragon was not like any other.

No Viking, no matter how strong, could subdue this creature and Asgard help the fool who challanges that fact.

An chilling, yet gentle wind blew past her, covering her in a thin frost. Hiccup chuffed, a type of laugh he had. "He likes you." Astrid gulped.

"I'm glad...because I do not want to be on his bad side." Hiccup bowed lowly to the king and, in her peripheral vision, Astrid noticed Toothless doing the same. "This is the alpha, the Bewilderbeast. He built this nest with his ice and power. All dragons live under his rule and his protection." She saw other dragons in front of the beast, bowing in the same manner. "He saves dragons, dragons serve him. We serve him."

"Is he the one sending the raids?" Hiccup glared, but not at her. He glared at seemingly nothing.

"No. There is a bad nest far from here. The Queen is evil. She hurts vikings. She hurts dragons."

 _He must be talking about Helheim's Gate...Has he been there?_ For the first time, Astrid saw an opportunity. If she could gain Hiccup's trust, he might show her the way through Helheim's Gate and she could tell Stoick. They'd lead an attack with all tribes, take down the nest, and then come for this-Astrid stole a glance at the Bewilderbeast, who was grumbling at Hiccup.

They will leave this nest alone.

"Have you been there?" Hiccup blinked and stared at her. He stayed that way before growling and snarling.

"No! Bad, Sky Eyes! Nest is bad!" She immediately agreed, calming him back down. So he has been, but he is not going. She'll just have to learn more bit by bit before approaching the subject.

For now.

Noticing Hiccup's worsening mood, she changed tactics and asked questions about the Bewilderbeast. "Does he have a name?" Hiccup shook his head.

"Too...ummmm...I don't know the word...cannot name. Knows much, has lived long, teaches many..." As he fumbled to try to explain, Astrid tried to formulate a plan. There had to be a way to learn more about the nest.

* * *

If Astrid thought she could get a good night's sleep, she was sorely mistaken again.

Dragons seemingly never sleep and neither, it seemed, did Hiccup. There had been about a thirty minute lull in noise as the noon ended and the more diurnal dragons came to their nests to get ready for bed after going out with the alpha for feeding time. Astrid thought that meant everyone was going to sleep.

Nope.

Hiccup was wide awake, along with Toothless and half the nest. It turns out Night Furies, Changewings, Whispering Deaths, Rumblehorns, etc, were nocturnal and loved to just run about. Toothless decided to investigate Astrid more and she spent a good twenty minutes telling him to go away as he sniffed her before Cloudjumper, irritated at being woken up, roared at the smaller dragon to scare him off. Hiccup was just as active, moving about the cave and often in the room, searching for things.

"Ugh! Don't you sleep at all?" She was never going to get better if they didn't settle down. How his mom dealt with him was a mystery to Astrid. Hiccup glanced up to her, confused.

"Yes. Sleep in morning and noon. Not at night."

"Why not at night?"

"Too much sleep."

"Then don't sleep during the day!"

"...Why?"

"Humans sleep at night, not at day. You're human, Hiccup...you do know that right?" Hiccup snorted and rolled his eyes sarcastically.

"I am not a dragon, so I am a viking-child." Well, at least he gets that. "Mother guards the day. I guard the night." That explained the wacky sleep schedule. But Astrid could not sleep with him rummaging through his things, though it looked like he was putting on armor. It was black leather with red scales, probably from Cloudjumper. He had a couple of straps going across his chest and stomach. He knealt down to put on shin guards and then his wrist guards. From what it looked like, he was going somewhere. "You should sleep."

"I can't. You keep making noise, Toothless keeps wandering in here and sniffing me, and don't get me started on all the dragons outside." He stared at her for a moment. Then smiled as if he got it.

"I can help!" Like before, he scooped her up in a blanket and carried her out. Toothless scurried after, yapping excitedly with Hiccup chirping in reply. Astrid could only imagine what they were talking about as she was carried princess style to the nearest tunnel, through twists and turns, and then being carried up as Hiccup climbed. Finally, they came out into the icy night, as the moon had risen high into the sky. They walked out onto the ledge and Hiccup sat her back on her feet. Astrid wasn't sure how she felt about being carried everywhere, but she knew she would never have made the path there. Instead, she sat down as he did and felt a scaly, massive creature lay behind them. Hiccup put his hand on Toothless' head and began scratching him, leaning back. After a few minutes, Astrid leaned back too.

Astrid never knew dragons were so...warm. Well, she never stopped to feel a dragon's scales as she killed it, but this was a new feeling. Toothless' calm breathing was pretty soothing, even if she was sure the dragon didn't like her much. With her back feeling warm and the chill in the air around her, she felt...good. "Look!" Hiccup pointed up at the stars. Astrid looked at where he was pointing. "It's a sheep." It took her a while to spot it. She laughed.

"There's a yak." Toothless cooed.

"Brother sees a fish. You always see fish." She smiled a bit at them as they bickered. Take away the scales, claws, and fire breathing and the two could really be brothers. Hiccup spent a good thirty minutes pointing out random shapes in the stars. "I like the night. Every thing is nice at night. The sun does not burn. The stars are out. Night is...beautiful." She nodded.

"But day is great too. You can see all the colors at day." Hiccup nodded, but frowned. "What's wrong?"

"...Day is nice...but night is free..." He smiled at Toothless. "We are safe at night." Toothless cooed as if agreeing. Astrid stared at him, wondering what could've been so bad that he would prefer the dark over the light. "I will ask dragons to not come too close to my nest at night. Sky Eyes will feel better then?" She blinked. She hadn't expected him to try and fix her problem. She figured that she would chock it up to a weird viking problem and leave it to her to fix. Then again, she's only been conscious for a day and Thor knows how long she's been out.

For the first time in a while, Astrid smiled, albeit tiredly. "Thanks." With that, she yawned and was sleeping against Toothless with Hiccup watching her. Once he was sure she would stay asleep, he carried her back and went for a flight.

* * *

 **Few points here. Diurnal is the opposite of nocturnal. I kinda liked the idea of Night Furies being nocturnal (and, by extension, Hiccup) since they use low lighting to camoflauge themselves. But, I also figured that other dragons would be nocturnal too. Whispering Deaths can barely stand sunlight, so that's a definate possibility. Changewings can turn invisible and night just amplifies that (lack of light means lack of SHADOWS), another possibility.**

 **Secondly, I don't buy that the first thing that any berkian would do when confronted with the Bewilderbeast is attack it. I read that a few times, but I just don't think so. I mean...HE'S FREAKING BIGGER THAN THE RED DEATH AND THEY ALL RAN FROM THAT. I mean, sure Drago killed it.**

 **With another Bewilderbeast.**

 **Indirectly.**

 **Sure, it's a dragon and, before Hiccup shook things up with Toothless, vikings hated dragons. But the Bewilderbeast isn't just any dragon. It's the ALPHA species, the best of the best, on par with the Night Fury. No, that dragon is gonna be respected. Whether you like dragons or not.**

 **Third, yeah...my chapters are short. I try to keep them that way so that they don't drag on. I also try to keep them long enough to paint a visual picture in your head. Like a little telepathic girl who paints your dreams...and orcastrates your nightmares.**

 **But moving right along, that does not mean I intend to make this a short story. Nope, we will watch Hiccup learn about the viking world, Astrid will learn to accept his dragon world, and they will fall in love. Kinda like Tarzan but with fire.**

 **And Toothless.**

 **We'll also have explosions.**

 **And burritos, but that's beside the point.**


	5. Chapter 5

Terror in the Village

As always the night welcomed them with open arms, soothing the scorching heat of the sun away with the healing rays of the moon. Toothless and Hiccup floated through the sky, though floating to them was soaring to everyone else. It had been a full week since they had gone on their usual flight, choosing to stick around to watch over Astrid and cutting their flying time in half. But it had been a week and Valka was tired of them bouncing off the walls with their constant energy, so they had been...encouraged to take a week long trip and return when they were good and tired. So Astrid was left in Valka's care.

Hiccup pouted, he hadn't even gotten to say goodbye to his newfound friend. Sure, her knowledge of dragons was all wrong. She didn't even know the basic way to tell a female dragon from a male one. But she was fun to be around and he learned new viking words. Plus, her eyes reminded him of the sky and he enjoyed watching them.

 _"Brother in Heart sadness."_ Hiccup blinked, looking down at Toothless.

 _"Not sad no..."_ Toothless shook him, a nonverbal way of saying 'liar'. Hiccup grumbled, finally confirming. He was a bit sad that he didn't get to see Astrid that day. He had slept until noon as usual, then he had gone about to check on some dragons who had come down with a rare case of Shrinking Scales, a very uncomfortable condition of...well, scales tightening up in random places. It usually passed after a week and was caused by stress, age, or a bad diet. He spent most of his time helping them pick off the dying scales and rubbing a soothing mint balm onto their raw skin. As soon as he walked back in to get his armor and say hello to Astrid, his mom threw him his clothes and told him to go and patrol the archipeligoes for traps.

 _"Miss Sky Eyes viking girl. Is mate?"_ At that, Hiccup shrieked loudly and batted his fist against Toothless' head as he laughed. Both boys were fully aware of their more...basic instincts. Hiccup had caught himself staring at female dragon trappers more times than he cared to admit and Toothless had gone off a couple times (with Hiccup, of course) on an annual mating ritual for Night Furies.

Now, you probably wonder why Toothless does such a thing if he's the last Night Fury. Well, he's not. Night Furies simply like their space, Toothless included, and it is not uncommon for mates to meet up once a year to...reproduce. It's not that Toothless' mate doesn't care for him and vice versa. In fact, they adore each other and Hiccup has usually found himself on the recieving end of a slobbery welcome when Chases the Light (the female) sees them. It's simply how Night Furies are and Toothless is perfectly fine with it. They stay together for a month, Chases the Light hatches her clutch, and then they leave once the hatchlings are a month old.

Perhaps that is why Night Furies are rare, but they are a competitive race who are known to fight for dominence, be it against siblings or parents. It's much safer this way.

Back to the story, though, Hiccup was no stranger to attraction. On the off chance he accompanies his mother to a village, he himself was subject to lustful stares and flirting from women of various ages. Many of whom were beautiful, but none of whom came close to Astrid. To a man who treasured the sky so much, her radiance was like a glorious gift from Odin to his eyes. She was quickly becoming his world, while Toothless was his life. He feared a day would come when he would have to choose between them. Toothless, however, was also warming up to Astrid. The dragon blood he had smelled on her was fading fast and allowing him to be more curious than cautious.

What was it about this particular viking girl that interested Hiccup in such a way? Why did Hiccup only have a fleeting interest in other viking girls they had seen, usually gone faster than a Skrill in a storm, but act like an overly affectionate hatchling for this one? Her scent was normal, she was not particularly smart (according to Toothless), and she didn't really speak Human Tongue often (Valka said it was something called Noooooshhh or something). Was this interest just longer than the others? Would Hiccup lose interest soon? It made sense. Every other viking girl they met tried to kill them.

No room for affection there, just survival.

Speaking of survival, there was a distinct smell of danger in the night air. Immediately, both Hiccup and Toothless became silent, only the silent whoosh of air beneath their wings indicating their presence. They were nearing a viking village with a tribe Valka called the Meatheads. Why vikings insisted on ridiculous names were lost on the duo, but that was their business. As they neared, the lighting became much more prominent and it was apparant that there was a raid going on. Hiccup usually tended to avoid them, with Valka's firm warning to not get involved.

Raids were brutal and bloody.

The dragons were strange and sickly, babbling nonsense.

The vikings were bloodthirsty and unforgiving.

"People like us," Valka admonished, "need to stay with our own, in safety." Hiccup watched helplessly as dragons and vikings clashed in an atrocious thirst for the other's life. Was this what Astrid meant? Sure, if Hiccup didn't know better, he'd think dragons were monsters too. But...

These dragons...

 _"Brother in Heart see yes yes?"_ Toothless grumbled, watching as well. His eyes were slits, sensing the danger drenched in mindless carnage.

 _"Bad nest bad queen. Kill for fun hunt endless. Vikings feed dragons feed vikings die dragons die."_ This was obviously caused by the Red Death, the Queen of the Nest Hiccup warned Astrid about. She had tried to get him to say more afterwards, but after seeing both him and Toothless growl, she stopped.

 _"Brother look see look! Shakes Tail Loud!"_ A Deadly Nadder merely three years younger shot past them, shrieking and sending poisoned spikes at multiple projectiles. The two watched in horror as the Nadder charged head first into battle, screaming incoherently. Shakes Tail Loud was a docile, sweethearted dragon who detested fighting. She was very pretty with light purple scales with spots of white tips. She was more likely to offer her food to another dragon rather than fight over it. She had left the nest only a year ago, why was she fighting?

Hiccup roared out to her, trying to call her back. The Nadder continued on, like she had not heard him. Taking to the skies, Shakes Tail Loud circled around for another assault when Hiccup noticed a strange contraption that he had seen dragon trappers use. Shrieking, Toothless needed no urging and dove towards the village.

* * *

"Ye hear that? Sounds like a..."

"NIGHT FURY!"

"GET DOWN!"

* * *

Toothless released an explosive blast of fire, completely obliterating the strange rope throwing contraption. Keeping far above the large fire sticks, the darkly clad and colored duo circled the village detonating the traps and knocking hanging vikings off dragons in midair. Vikings shot arrows blindly into the night, hoping to snag the legendary dragon that brought untold horrors upon vikings. To kill a Night Fury was to be bridled with endless glory and honor, to secure a future for generations to come.

But, Toothless was faster than those ridiculous human rumors, zipping through the sky like a dark shooting star. The arrows shot too low to touch him, too slow to even catch the air beneath his tail. No viking could hope to grasp his speed and agility, let alone take him out of the sky. Finally, day began to emerge and the dragons of the bad nest return in the waning sunlight. Hiccup, not wanting to be around when the light revealed his brother and him, urged Toothless after the shadows to the farthest sea stack. He wanted to put distance between him and the Meathead Tribe. As they flew in silence, they caught a glimpse of Shakes Tail Loud and squawked, finally gaining her attention. The Deadly Nadder wearily but happily replied, following them. As they landed on a sea stack just big enough to hold them all, Hiccup slid of Toothless' back and rushed to her, nuzzling her snout with his cheek in a relieved greeting. _"Shakes Tail Loud safe so happy so safe! Why fight why? Worried scared irritated relieved worried worried!"_ As Hiccup scolded her for scaring them, Toothless admonished her to explain.

Shakes Tail Loud yawned, squatting to wrap her tail around her legs. _"Tired. So tired. Talk later tell yes yes. Sleep hungry no food no eat weeks."_ Now that Hiccup had a better look, she did look a bit...thinner. He rubbed his hand against her sides, feeling her ribcage poke through her scales. Her legs were knobby and looked like they struggled to uphold the twenty-five thousand pound dragon. Poor Shakes Tail Loud looked worn out and hungry, too hungry for a young dragon who could easily provide for herself. Hiccup was confused and worried.

Shakes Tail Loud had only left a month ago, just to explore. She was going to come back soon. If dragons simply flying about were forced into the bad Queen's servitude, then soon...Hiccup didn't want to think about it. _"Yes yes rest yes Shakes Tail Loud must sleep. Rides the Night hunt yes. Races the Night find food."_ The young Nadder crooned and fell asleep as Toothless licked her scales and Hiccup scratched under her chin. The duo glanced at each other, then the rising sun. It looked like they were going to hunt during the daytime in Viking waters.

Fun.

* * *

The night had been long and the wind had blown snow around like a thunderdrum. Berk stood covered in ice and snow with the dirt and wood roads were paved in sleet. Vikings stayed in their homes with their families, swaddled in fur blankets and pelts, with fires roaring in their fireplaces. Morning came with a fresh cover of snow, heaped on the house like the scrap metal in Gobber's workshop. Stoick walked out, bones stiff and fingers already biting from the chill. The viking chief had kept his word on not going to the nest immediately, deciding to wait until the ice thawed as he said. He watched as his villagers slowly crept from their safe, warm cottages into their own cruel world.

Why do they try? Many had asked that question over the years. Why keep going? Why not leave to warmer isles where dragons were supposedly rare? Where farmland and fish were abundent? But each time, the very thought of defeat put a sour taste in their mouths. Whether to dragons, Berserkers, or Outcasts, no Hairy Hooligan would roll over in defeat.

Stoick was proud of those he called his villagers. He just wished he could give them all a break. Last night, the dragons did something they never did. They raided, in the middle of a horrific snowstorm. The onslaught of snow and fire was a nightmare in ways he had never imagined. Freezing his backside as flames lick at his beard.

"Well, I'd say mornin', but..." Gobber mumbled as he hobbled through the thick layers of snow. From the Chief's house upon the hilltop, one could see the still burnt remains under the icy canvas of snow. The children ran about, happy to wake to a day where the dragons' flames licked the cottages around them. "Eh...we only lost three people. I'd say that makes this a pretty okay mornin'."

"I'd call it a 'pretty okay mornin',' when we don't lose anyone," Stoick grumbled. "What's the damage?"

"Three houses were burnt down, three warriors gone, and half the storage is gone...strangely enough, there's enough eel to last us for weeks." Stoick sighed, at least eel was edible. He began his descent through the village when Bucket and Mulch came rushing up, yelling his name. "What is it, boys?"

"Ye wouldn't believe it! We were out trying to restock the storages on our boat when we saw a dragon flying above us."

"A dragon?" Already? Was it a sign of an upcoming raid? Stoick felt his muscles tense as he readied to give out an order to prepare.

"Yeah, but get this. It was just the one. A dragon about the size of a yak and as black as its own soul. Flew faster than anything I had ever seen and had wings as big sails. No horns, no tusks, just as sleek as a seal. It flew around at Thor's Rock and shot at the water, snatching fish from the air." Stoick listened to Mulch intently. A sleek black dragon that was faster than any other, not too big yet big enough to cause serious damage.

"What else?" Bucket spoke up before Mulch.

"We saw someone ridin' it, Stoick!" Mulch shook his head at the larger man with a bucket secured on his head. Stoick quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Bucket, I keep tellin' ya, no person could ride a dragon." Bucket wouldn't stop.

"I saw it, Mulch! A person dressed in black was on the dragon. Didn't even look human." Mulch sighed.

"Well, that's what he says. I'm not too sure, but we definately saw a Night Fury." The crowd that had accumulated around them began to murmur in worry.

"A Night Fury?"

"I thought they died out."

"What if it shows up next raid?"

"We need to catch it."

"What if it kills us all?"

"Enough!" Stoick stood up proud, "we'll double the patrols and immediately begin construction on more catapults. Gobber, what of that new launcher you were working on?"

"Almost done, just need to work on the calibration." Gobber had been trying to double the damage done to dragons each raid and had almost succeeded in creating an ebola launcher. Now if he could just get it to stop damaging cottages, it would be helpful.

* * *

Hiccup came flying back to the deserted island that he and Toothless had moved Shakes Tail Loud when it proved too dangerous to stay on the sea stack. The duo had to fly significantly slower to make sure the poor dragon didn't overexert herself and made a nice, temporary nest for her to rest before they herded her back to the Bewilderbeast's Nest.

Shakes Tail Loud slept most of the day, eating at night and flying about the island to stretch her wings. Hiccup grilled her for answers and got them easily, as the young nadder felt no loyalty to the _bad nest bad queen_. " _Bad bad bad! Bad nest bad queen feed feed feed queen only queen. Bad nest bad queen take feed feed."_ Shakes Tail Loud squawked loudly. " _Feed no feed eat dragon eat feed feed only feed angry greedy scary bad bad!_ "

 _"Scary bad feed why?"_

 _"Feed feed feed! Feed no kill yes."_

 _"Feed bad bad vikings angry."_

 _"Very angry but scary bad queen worse!"_

 _"Why?"_

 _"KILL!"_ Shakes Tail Loud roared out the word kill over and over until Toothless hissed at her to calm down. Whatever the Queen was planning, it was so horrifying that Shakes Tail Loud couldn't even comprehend it. Whatever it was, Hiccup had the distinct feeling that it was important that she was fed. And Hiccup was sure that it would be a horrific event for both vikings and dragons.

* * *

 **Oooooooh, Hiccup is near Thor's Rock. That's only three islands away from Berk. How long do you think it will be until Hiccup and Stoick meet? Shall we have Astrid introduce them or have the classic "shot out of the sky and hides at Raven's Point" scope?**


	6. Chapter 6

The Girl and the Rider

The soothing sounds of wingbeats and hissing roused him from his slumber. He had arrived back home early that morning, and both he and Toothless were exhausted. They had, had to fly slower to accommodate Shakes Tail Loud. They also had to hunt for all three of them, which equaled about three hundred pounds of fish. Normally, they would eat more, but the duo had decided to not waste too much time eating. They had arrived during the beginning of dawn and, after Shakes Tail Loud got situated, the two brothers had retreated to the more unused tunnels in the nest. There was one that was just small enough to fit Toothless and Hiccup. It was dubbed the "Night Fury Tunnel".Not many dragons used it since it went straight up with jutting rocks only big enough for Hiccup to sit on. They holed themselves up for a few days, exhausted from rushing home in such a manner. For a few days, they only exited the tunnel during the darkest of hours, to eat and patrol. Valka and Cloudjumper couldn't wake them during the day as they replenished their lost energy.

Hiccup awoke up with a start. Toothless was still in deep slumber, so he laid against him, just listening to the strong, steady heartbeat. The warmth of his black scaled body soothed his own aching muscles. Hiccup stared at the flicking shadows of dying fires from below, the nocturnal dragons returning from their nightly haunt of the skies and lands surrounding the nest. The diurnal dragons were beginning to come out from their periods of deep sleep and entering light dozes. He lay in the dark tunnel, lost in his own thoughts.

The evil Queen was planning to do something. Something that would require a lot of energy. He had to alert the alpha to this new development so that they could begin preparations to fortify the nest.

Of course, that meant that they would have restrictions of flight and, quite possibly, many dragons would be forced to remain within the nest. That would mean an unusually high amount of activity within the nest. That would possibly cause for some discomfort, especially for Sky Eyes.

Speaking of Sky Eyes, he had yet to see her and missed that. His mind wandered to questions about her. Was she feeling better? Did she miss home? Hiccup knew he would miss his home if he was alone in a place where he knew no one. Plus, he knew she was probably still uncomfortable. Whenever he came around, there were dragons. Whenever he wasn't around, there were dragons. And vikings didn't like dragons. He wanted her to get better. He wanted to show her what dragons were like.

But, first, he'd need her to trust him.

Thinking up a quick solution, he slowly sat up an stretched. Toothless grumbled and yawned, opening one bleary green eye. _"Morning welcome morning brother in Heart."_ Hiccup smiled softly and scratched below Toothless' chin.

 _"Sleep brother rest yes yes. You need rest..."_ At that, Toothless returned to his sleep and Hiccup jumped from the ledge they were both on. Even though it was a seven meters above the nearest cliff, he landed into an easy crouch and began walking towards his mother's cave.

The shadowy shapes of dragons slinked by him, crooning in tired greetings. Hiccup entered, rubbing an exhausted Cloudjumper's nose and kissing the cheek of his slumbering mother. She grumbled, but stayed asleep. He crept into the tunnel and entered his room where Astrid was sleep. He stood beside her, watching her breathe softly. Her hair was unbraided and fell across her shoulders. She looked freshly bathed, so he could guess that his mother had taken the time to help her with that. He gently shook her shoulder and backed up a bit when she groaned, waking up. "Hiccup...geez, what time is it?"

"Is nearly morning light..."

"Why are you up so early...? When did you get back...?" She sat up, slowly. He wrapped an arm around her to help support her.

"Wished to see you. Missed you." She fought back a blush. He had began growing a scruffy start of a beard, one that seemed more red than his brownish red hair. She took this moment to get a really good look at him. The power in his jaw was evident, his shoulders were broad and firm, and his arms around her waist were strong. He smiled. Were his front teeth always sort of crooked? "Want to walk?"

"Huh?"

"Need to move, will get better faster." She looked at him quietly. "All dragons are sleep. In hour, day dragons will awake. If...Sky Eye is still...angry at dragons...will be happier if walking without dragons."

"What about Toothless?"

"He is sleep. He will find me later."

"...Alright..." He grinned and pressed her closer to his chest, which was not really firm and nice.

Really! It was not!

Astrid leaned against him as he slowly led her through the tunnel. Cloudjumper grumbled, opening his eyes sleepily. Before Astrid could speak, Hiccup began cooing softly to him, careful not to wake his sleeping mother. The Stormcutter grumbled a reply and went back to sleep. She looked at him. "I promised to go hunting with him. He wants to play together." She nodded and he walked her out. "Let's walk to water."

He wasn't lying when he said all the dragons were sleeping. Some dragons that Astrid realized were nocturnal were quickly falling asleep. Others were in that familiar light sleep that came with morning. For now, the nest was silent. The Bewilderbeast's heavy breathing permeated the air with icy blasts. Hiccup smiled at the sleeping giant, the feeling of complete peace coming off him in waves. The dragon-boy led her down a trodden down path, where sharp claws and handmade leather and yak skin boots. In the darkness, there were spots of light glowing from the strange flowers that sprouted from the ground.

"Wow...it seems so...peaceful..." Hiccup smiled at her.

"I love this time...nest is safe now and no worries are here." He carried her up a slope and then stopped. "We rest here." The viking girl sat down and suddenly noticed they were sitting inside a cluster of Terrible Terror nests. The little dragons were sleeping in varying positions. Some were sprawled on top of another, some slept curled in a ball, and others still slept with their tongues lolled out.

Why did she not feel the overwhelming urge to kill them? They just seemed...normal.

She began to realize that she had not tried to kill _any_ dragons since she had got there. Sure, she was outrageously outnumbered and, especially with the Bewilderbeast standing guard, she'd inevitably die in any attempt on any dragon's life.

There was also the added fact that she was sure Hiccup would kill her before she even raised a knife halfway.

That should not have stopped her, though. Any other viking she knew would have gladly died instead of simply sit in a room for most of the day for the last...two weeks? Three? How long had she actually been there? The days seemed to blend together and yet, she felt...

Safe...

Which was weird, because there were more dragons here than she had ever seen. And many dragons she had never even seen outside of the Book of Dragons. And none of them had bothered her in the slightest. Sure, she had caught a few curious Terrible Terrors checking her out in the tunnels and Hiccup's bedroom. Plus, once a few young Nadders had peeked through the top of the tunnel once they realized she was around, but the Stormcutter had roared at them and they flew off.

Was he protecting her or them?

Why? She didn't understand. Dragons were supposed to be bloodthirsty and murderous monsters. They were supposed to feel nothing but hunger and anger. They were supposed to be mindless creatures with no soul, no heart, and a relentless thirst for carnage. Yet, she sat beside some who were more interested in sleeping, saw dragons play and socialize, and even witnessed them fussing over hatchlings. What made these dragons so different from the ones near Berk? Why didn't they eat Hiccup and Valka?

Maybe they knew something she didn't? A way to subdue the beasts perhaps? He did know where the nest that kept raiding the villages was. Maybe he could help her in more ways than she thought. "Hey, Hiccup..." He looked at her. "Can you teach me about dragons?" He stared at her, then erupted in a big smile and started to babble excitedly in dragon. That awoke some of the Terrible Terrors, who hissed irritatedly at him.

 _"Why wake? Why wake! No no wake loud no bad no Rides the Night no wake!"_ He blushed, jumping.

 _"Sorry yes yes no wake no sorry Rides the Night sorry yes..."_ After placating the dragons, he gave Astrid his attention again. The blonde viking wanted to learn about his world, the dragons. He was so happy, he'd finally have someone other than his mother to talk viking to. He'd teach her everything he knew, show her how to fly, anything she wanted. "You want me to teach. I will teach, I will be happy to. We will start later, when my brother is awake."

"Oh...uh...great..." She was going to be taking Dragon Lessons...she really hoped she learned something usable.

* * *

Whatever Astrid expected from her Dragon Lessons, it was not this. She sat beside him as he leaned back on his hands, fingers sprawled across the grass. The diurnal dragons were now out and about, happily welcoming the new day with their families and friends. Toothless was ahead of them, sniffing the ground happily for some reason. "Okay, so...when are we starti-" He shushed her and pointed at Toothless.

"Watch..." The black dragon paid them no mind, continuing what he was doing. Astrid honestly had no clue why Hiccup insisted she watch Toothless. He was just sniffing the ground like a dog. She glanced up and noticed that other dragons were also sniffing the ground. A few nadders were digging at the ground, some Gronkles were sniffing around rocks and pushing them around, and some Nightmares were sniffing around brushes and grumbling. What were they doing?

She glanced over to see Hiccup sniffing some leaves himself. What was going on? Finally Toothless began barking out at him and nudging his head at a bush. Hiccup made growling sounds at him and smiled. "You see? You see now?"

"What?" Hiccup held up the leaves from a bush and she took a few.

"Sniff." So she did and noticed that there was a strong minty smell. It was slightly rough around the edges of the leaf and when she sniffed her fingers, the smell stayed. "Dragons have strong noses. Bad breath is gross." He popped some leaves into his mouth and chewed. "Every morning, after morning hunt, eat leaves." Toothless copied his actions and began to chew on the leaves from the branches like a big fire breathing, scaly, flying yak. Astrid could not believe it.

Dragons brush their teeth.

* * *

Over the course of days, Hiccup took her out early in the morning for her daily dragon lesson. She watched dragons do what they do best in the mornings. She was even taken outside so that she could see Toothless and Hiccup hunt for their breakfast. She was amazed to watch the two swoop down and snatch fish from the air. The morning hunt was a favorite of hers to watch. The massive amount of dragons flying through the air in a cornucopia of colors. As of late, Hiccup didn't let any dragons other than Toothless, Cloudjumper, a few inquisitive Terrible Terrors too close to her. Astrid figured that he didn't feel she was ready to be do close to his family yet.

She didn't know that Hiccup was simply hoarding his time alone with her, like a jealous male.

As Hiccup taught, Astrid grew her strength more and more. He insisted on simply helping her walk around the nest, rarely ever carrying her fully. Soon, she could walk without him holding her up and found herself needing to keep up with the fast paced boy as he took her to different places within his home. Today, he had a surprise for her. Astrid walked behind him, quickly fixing her braid. He kept looking behind her, smiling brightly as he made sure she wasn't having trouble walking. "So, where are we going now?"

"Secret!"

"Aw come on! Just a hint?"

"They breathe fire."

"Oh, very funny."

"Thank you." She had the sinking suspicion that he knew what sarcasm was. He hopped onto a very steep cliff and offered a hand down, which she took gladly. She could walk, sure, but jumping up that high might set her back. He pulled her up easily, wrapping his arm around her waist to steady her. She blushed, "you are okay?"

"Wha-yeah! Yeah, I'm fine." He smiled and continued to walk. Hiccup had brought her to a ledge full of nests. Egg shells were scattered and newly hatched baby Deadly Nadders waddled around, squawking happily as they explored their new world and their new family members. The parents walked about, conversing with other nest mates, caring for eggs, and feeding babies. "Wow, what is...are they all...?"

"They are hatching!" He led her over to a nest that was still a bit full, with eggs beginning to tremble. He picked up a few and quickly moved them over to a hole filled with water. Astrid yelped when he tossed them in and sat beside the edge.

"Why did you-?" Once she looked in, she saw the eggs explode within the water, causing bubbles to erupt from the blast. Three baby nadders paddled to the surface and used their claws to climb out and waddled over to Hiccup, squawking. They even approached Astrid, sniffing her excitedly. "Oh my Gods, they're..."

"Cute, aren't they?"

"Adorable. Oh, this one has white spots!" He peeked closer.

"Ah, I did not notice. A white spot Spikey Tail is rare." The parents came over and deposited the other eggs. One of them was a large green Nadder with dark blue tinges and the other was a smaller red with yellow.

"So...how do you tell dragons apart?"

"Huh?"

"Like which one's a boy and which one's a girl."

"Oh. That is easy." He pointed to the parents, who were ignoring the two humans in favor for nuzzling their new babies. He picked up one of the baby Nadders, who already was the size of two buckets. He pointed to the nadder's scales as he handed it to her. The baby nadder was a green with dark blue spots, like its father. The tail had yet to develop their poisonous spikes and the wings were still tightly packed to it's body. "For Spikey Tails, you tell by color. Male Spikey Tails are green, dark blue, and deep red. Females are light blue, purple, and yellow. Sometimes, Spikey Tails are born white or grey and then get colored spots like blue or purple. Spikey Tails are very colorful." He smiled. "Fire Skins are also like that. Males are black and red with long black horns. Females are black and purple with shorter black horns. Rock Hides females are bigger. Terrible Terror males have bigger wing spans. Double Heads are both male and female."

"Wait, what!? That can't be possible, you can only be one gender." He shook his head.

"No other way to distinguish. Both mates are male and female, both lay eggs. Double Heads and Double Double Heads lay lots of eggs."

"Double Double Heads...?" He held up four fingers, so Astrid had to guess he meant, "the Snaptrapper..." He shrugged. A female walked up to them, sniffing Astrid curiously. Hiccup chittered at her irritatedly, but the nadder hissed and continued to investigate her. Astrid noticed Hiccup's obviously insulted look. "What'd she say?"

"Told me to back off. Wants to see you." The Nadder was a beauty, with blue scales that matched Astrid's eyes and a soft yellow underbelly with matching spots on her wings. The nadder's golden eyes scanned Astrid intently, as if looking for something before squawking loudly and latching her beak (snout?) onto her braid.

"Hey!" Hiccup laughed as Astrid was roughly tugged back and the Nadder began to groom her, settling down on its powerful legs. "What is... _she_ doing?"

Hiccup grinned impishly, "Spikey Tails like pretty things. She is grooming pretty viking girl." Astrid blushed at Hiccup's description of her. Though she was sure Hiccup had no clue what that meant to her, or how handsome he actually was in comparison to the other boys she knew, it didn't stop the dragon sized butterflies from fluttering around in her stomach. The nadder purred contently as she expertly brushed and styled Astrid's braid with her sharp teeth and nuzzled her. "...This is Flies Through Stormy Skies...is Sky Eye's age and very picky about looks. She says you are pretty. She...likes you and wishes to be friends." Astrid looked up at the nadder, taking in her appearance. True to Hiccup's words, Flies Through Stormy Skies was absolutely pristine with sparklingly clean scales, sharpened talons and spikes, white teeth, and bright eyes. She fluttered her wings, showing off the light that glinted off her scales and puffing out her chest. Hiccup gurgled at her, earning a sharp hiss.

"Friends, huh...? Never had a dragon friend before...I dunno..."

"Why not? More friends is good, yes?"

"Well...yeah, but..."

"Dragon friends like viking friends...just...different. Sky Eyes is like Flies Through Stormy Skies. Strong, beautiful, and smart. Is good." She blushed again, but fought it back. Astrid looked up nervously at Flies Through Stormy Skies, who stared back expectantly. Hiccup hopped forward and took her hand, making her reach up to her snout and ignoring her short protest. The nadder didn't move, but then...slowly, but surely, pressed her snout into Astrid's hand. "Good. Now you are friends."

Flies Through Stormy Skies was warm and she instantly felt a connection to the dragon. They were alike, weren't they? Astrid was hailed as being the best fighter, the best student, the best warrior. Astrid's name was synonymous with the best. And Deadly Nadders were...confident and intelligent creatures that seemed to pride themselves in their appearance and their strengths. Next to a Night Fury, she had seen them pick up some pretty impressive speeds too. The dragons were some of the best and so was Astrid.

What was wrong with having one of the best friends? "Alright then, girl, let's be best friends." The nadder purred happily, nuzzling her. "Flies Through Stormy Skies is kind of a mouthful, though, huh...? How about I call you...Stormfly, for short?"

* * *

If Toothless was any indicator of what a friend for a dragon was like, Stormfly proved it. Right after making friends with the Nadder, Astrid found herself waking up to the happy face of Stormfly every morning. Unfortunately, she was too tall to fit into Hiccup's room, as was Cloudjumper, and often waited by the ceiling tunnel. Hiccup was ecstatic that she now had a dragon of her own and, much to her own surprise, Astrid found herself becoming attached to Stormfly pretty quickly. She was asking more and more about Deadly Nadders.

What was their top speed?

How big did they actually grow?

How many eggs can one female lay?

What were their breeding habits?

Favorite foods?

Favorite scratching places?

If Hiccup couldn't answer them (which was about as rare as a Night Fury), then she asked Valka. If Valka couldn't answer them (also rare), then Astrid investigated it herself. She began to leave on her own, using Stormfly as a guide and a guard. Soon, she was no longer interested in learning about the nest that was attacking the raids. She wanted to know about this nest, where Hiccup and Valka had sought sanctuary. The Bewilderbeast was always an interest, usually sitting calmly in the waves like a king on his throne. She'd creep close, just to get a good look, only to be pulled back by Stormfly if she got too close.

It must be impolite to approach without permission.

Hiccup usually caught up with her when she ventured out on her own, but after being cross with her a few times, he let up after seeing her feeding some Terrible Terrors a few scraps of her fish. She'd get up at the same time as the Nadders and hurry to their nest to watch over hatchlings while Stormfly and her family flew off to get breakfast. Then Hiccup and Toothless would return with her to nap alongside the hatchlings after breakfast. Hiccup was happy that Astrid was learning so quickly, she was even introducing herself to dragons as "Sky Eyes", his special name for her. That brought about their next lesson. "Dragon Tongue?" Astrid stared at him as they ate dinner.

She had begun to sit at dinner with him and Valka, whom had stayed out of their way up until now. Valka had finally started to warm up to Astrid after she saw her new friendship with Stormfly, who ate beside Toothless and Cloudjumper.

Hiccup nodded, biting into his fish fiercely. "Sky Eyes is good talking to dragons. Needs to speak dragon now."

"I dunno. It seems pretty difficult."

"Oh, it's not too bad," Valka said. "Hiccup speaks it easy because he was just a babe when we were brought here from...our old village. He spoke more dragon than Norse before I finally pounded into his head."

"But you speak it really good." Valka glared at Hiccup as he laughed. "What?"

"Between ye and me, lass, my pronunciation is a wee bit...off..."

"...What?"

"Often says wrong words."

"It's nae my fault that some thousand words sound exactly the same!"

"Dragon dung and cabbage are not same."

"Oh, shut up, lad! Ye speak Norse about as well as I speak Dragon Tongue." Valka turned back to Astrid, "just keep in mind to make the words at the bottom of yer throat, lass. Like ye chokin' or gurglin'. Usually works best." Thus, Hiccup began to coach Astrid on speaking Dragon Tongue. Unlike when he was teaching her about dragons, he was a total task master who often bit her on the ear (lightly, of course) if she made the same mistake too many times. Paired with Astrid's perfectionist personality and Stormfly's protective nature, it made for an interesting class. Toothless often began laughing and teased them about her ridiculous sentences.

 _"I put dragon nip on my toes and cry tulips."_

 _"I washed the Alpha's rocky fish."_

 _"I need two giant claws moon."_

 _"I cannot hear with my tongue."_

"Last one was...not wrong."

"So I finally got it?" In answer, he bit her ear again. "OW!"

"No, Sky Eyes sounds stupid."

"HEY!" She tackled him, thus initiating a wrestling match between her and Hiccup, then Hiccup and Toothless, then Toothless and Stormfly, then Stormfly and her, and then finally a battle royale between her and Toothless. As they all lay on the ground, she groaned. "I'll never get this, Hiccup. Humans are just not meant to speak Dragon."

"...I can..." She looked at him and he returned the stare.

"Yeah, well...you were born here."

"No."

"Huh?"

"No."

"No what?"

"Not born here." Astrid sat up. Hiccup wasn't born here? But, he had lived his whole life...and then it hit her. Hiccup was taken here as a baby, probably in Valka's arms. That meant that he was originally born a viking! But, he held none of the normal Viking characteristics. No beefy arms, no giant stomach, and an intelligent that, more often than not, ran circles around her thoughts.

His name _was_ Hiccup, after the viking tradition of naming the runt of the litter a "Hiccup". That means Valka and Hiccup probably had a family or at least a relative...no, he had a village somewhere. "Then, where were you born?" He shrugged.

"Not know. Came here, was not a yearling." Astrid crawled over to him, but he made no move to change his position. Was he tired?

"Valka never told you? Did you ask?" He stayed quiet for a bit.

"Yes."

"And?"

"No talking about it. It makes Mum sad." So, Valka didn't talk about their village and Hiccup knew nothing of his heritage except that he was born to a viking father somewhere out there. He had obviously made no move to find out who, either, but why would he? This entire nest was his family. They raised him, fed him, played with him, protected him. He probably even viewed one of them as his dad. But, Astrid couldn't just let some poor viking think his child and his wife were probably dead.

Then again, all vikings hated dragons. She looked forlornly at Stormfly, her now dozing buddy. If someone found out Hiccup was for the dragons, family or not, he'd probably be killed or at least, hurt. "Do you...want to know...who your father is?" He stayed quiet for a moment. His green eyes showed conflict, one that Astrid could understand...slightly.

On the one hand, he desperately wanted to know where he came from and who had sired him.

On the other hand, whoever his father was...probably would hate his very existence.

* * *

 **Oooooooooh! The story is actually coming along and do you know how many times I rewrote this chapter?**

 **Can you guess...:)?**

 **THREE!**

 **That's right, three times! i could not get this story out. But, now it's here. Hiccup is home, Astrid decides to learn about dragons, we find out how to tell dragons apart, we meet Stormfly, and now Astrid realizes that Hiccup was born in an "unknown" village somewhere. Way to be a blonde, Astrid *gets punched*.**

 **Now, my favorite part of this chapter was a choice between the Zippleback and the whole "mint" thing. Who says mint can't grow in the nest? From what I saw on HTTYD 1 and 2 and the whole television franchise, Zipplebacks are pretty much...green.**

 **Maybe I missed a few, but that's what I saw.**

 **So, how would one tell if it was male or female? With most animals, it's usually the size or the coloring that distinguishes the sex (I'm looking at you, ducks!), but there are some species that have blurred the lines between genders. In some species of frogs, they can spontaneously change sex in a single sex environment (thank you, Jurassic Park!), but I thought that might be a bit confusing. There's also clown fish, who can change sex, if one mate dies, in order to continue their lineage with one of their offspring (I can honestly never watch Finding Nemo again). But I also thought that was really, really disturbing. So, what should we do? Why does a dragon need to be one sex?**

 **It has two heads. Why not make it male and female? Now, I know what you're thinking..."Queen, does that mean they can produce offspring with themselves?" The answer...?**

 **No.**

 **They are dragons, they are a part of the reptilian family. They are not bacteria or fungus. My idea is that a Zippleback (or Snaptrapper) will only produce offspring with another dragon of a slightly different genetic code. Same species, different dragon.**

 **Problem solved, interesting characteristic made. Barf and Belch are both male and female. We will call Barf and Belch a "he" in this story. Barf says she's cool with it.**

 **Next, mint.**

 **Okay, I know dragons are carnivores (and, by extension, Hiccup). I see the whole sharp teeth thing. But my thoughts are that a dragon's sense of smell is probably about the same as a Tyrannosaurus Rex's...or, maybe a Velociraptor's. (As a side note, does anyone else think that Speed Stingers seem to be based off Jurassic Park's velociraptors?) That being said, I know I wouldn't want to be a dragon with bad breathe, because PHEW! That can be strong. So, I would imagine that dragons chew on mint so that they can at least save themselves from having to smell their own breathe. Plus, Dragons: Race to the Edge, we saw some Deadly Nadders chewing on bushes for some reason and I KNOW it was not dragon nip because that would be horrifying.**


	7. Chapter 7

Learning to Fly

 _"Spikey Tail."_

 _"Rocky nail...?"_

 _"Sp-ik-ey Ta-il."_

 _"S...Spiney Tail?"_

"Almost." Hiccup scooted forward and Astrid tensed up, thinking he was going to bite her ear again. He had made Stormfly and Toothless leave so that he could focus on teaching her for the last few days. He sat in front of her, his legs flanking both of her sides and leaned forward until he was only inches away. By now Astrid's face was as red as a young Monstrous Nightmare, and it was beginning to become ridiculous. She was Astrid Hofferson, she did not blush. But Hiccup had that strange ability to fluster her and make her question her own ideals at the same time. _"Spikey Tail."_

 _"S...limy...tail..._ He put his finger on her collarbone and pressed. _"Spikey Tail..."_ He purred, a surefire sign that she had finally done it. For the most part, Astrid had been able to pick up simple sentences and words like "stop", "yes", "no", "good", "bad", and "food". She could even form very simple sentences and had been practicing with Stormfly and Toothless when Hiccup was busy. Just this morning she greeted him with _"Welcome morning welcome."_ He had whooped and swung her around in an ecstatic hug.

"You speaking good."

 _"Good?"_

He nodded in approval, "now. Repeat. _Flies Through Stormy Skies."_ After a few failed attempts, Hiccup stopped her. "Try something else?"

"Like what?"

"Think Stormfly." Astrid imagined her dragon, every move she made and sound she created. "Stormfly sounds...?"

"She kind of sounds like a big bird only...rougher and her roars kind of sound like howling..." He nodded. "So, try to sound like Stormfly? But she's a dragon..." He gave her a look and Astrid sighed, it was probably best just to humor him. The whole "dragon" excuse must get old. So, she did. She sucked in a breath, feeling the air fill her throat and tonsils. Her chest inflated and she did her best to repeat the words, howling out _"Flies Through Stormy Skies!"_ as well as she could. Hiccup then graced her with a blinding smile as a responding caw echoed in the air and she looked up to see Stormfly's approaching visage. The nadder landed gracefully onto their cliff and hurried over to her, sniffing the girl and gurgling a greeting. "What happened?! What did I say?"

"Flies Through Stormy Skies," so he taught her Stormfly's dragon name. She laughed as she stroked the dragon's snout.

"Sorry, Stormfly, I was just practicing." Aforementioned nadder grumbled, laying down next to her and grooming Astrid's braid. Hiccup pat her snout as well before being badgered by Toothless, who was now demanding attention from anyone. "Can we take a break?" He nodded since they had been at this since he woke up and it beginning to get late. Dragons scurried around them from below and above, socializing happily. Some of the nocturnal dragons were getting more and more active the darker it got. Soon, Astrid would want to go back to the cave and rest anyway. "So, Hiccup, what was it like when you were little?"

"When I was a youngling?" He sat back a bit, not moving his legs from their current position. He had always been in some form of physical contact with her, whether it was holding her hand, holding her waist, or just plain touching her. Usually her hand, though, never reaching below the waist or for her chest. When Astrid mentioned his strange knowledge of manners, Valka laughed, saying that she had taught Hiccup at an early age to not touch a viking girl's chest or legs without her permission.

Apparently, he had even gotten the "Talk" from his mother too and _knew_ the basics of attraction. So the question began to stand in Astrid's mind, was Hiccup's need to keep in contact with her and make her blush on purpose? Did he...like her that way? She thought he'd just been happy to find a new friend, but could he have saved her because he felt attracted to her? "When I was youngling, I was like others."

"The other...baby dragons?" He nodded, laughing suddenly for some reason. She looked at him expectantly.

He clicked several times before hissing, "that was youngling name...it meant Cliff Climber." He grinned, "was always running around, climbing up biggest cliffs and rocks. Broke arms, legs...Mum said I would climb up to Valhalla one day." Astrid laughed, so Hiccup was a troublemaker. Toothless was apparently no better, if the nickname "Cliff Jumper" indicated anything. Stormfly was also very rambunctious, apparently, for having earned the nickname "Boar Runner". Cloudjumper appeared for a few minutes and had Hiccup translate numerous tales of how he had to save Hiccup a multitude of times from falling from different cliffs and rocks, surprising resting Nightmares and Thunderdrums. Soon, Astrid was rolling on the ground laughing after being told of when Hiccup tried to take home a Speed Stinger and was taken by the Speed Stinger Chief. Cloudjumper spent hours looking before he found him riding one of the members of the pack, racing amongst the shoreline. Hiccup grumbled. "We still visit."

Toothless finally nudged Astrid, after pouting from hearing the tale of when he was hung up by his tail by the Alpha for biting the tails of adult Whispering Deaths. She figured that it translated into _"your turn."_ She sighed, seeing the eyes of three expectant dragons and Hiccup. "Well...there's this boy back in my village named Snotlout. He's the Chief's nephew and he's...loud, obnoxious, cocky, and has the intelligence of a...a Fireworm!" The dragons snorted. Fireworms weren't dumb, but they were more likely to do what you told them to do then think for themselves. "Well, he has this enormous crush on me and thinks we'll be married when we're older."

"...What is married?" She blushed.

"Ummm...he wants me to be his mate when we're older." Hiccup's face turned sour, as if someone were taking away Toothless. She smiled, "long story short, I cannot stand him. So, one day when I was...twelve, he stopped by the house and gave me the biggest bouquet of flowers. They were just these wilted common flowers he picked up in the woods and a bunch of weeds. He got on his knee and gave this long, long elaborate speech about...himself." At that Hiccup cackled and fell back, translating quickly to the other dragons the basic gist of her story. That earned roars that were styled in laughs. Stormfly's sounded like she was hacking, but with a draconic smile. Toothless was more of a chuffing sound. And Cloudjumper made short gurgling sounds. She began laughing too. "Well, after he got done with his spiel about how we should start dating so we can get married and be the best viking man and wife to ever walk the ground of Midgard and how he'll always keep me out of danger and blah blah blah...I decked him in the face." Hiccup snickered before raising an eyebrow.

"Decked?" She grinned impishly and punched him in the stomach, making him grunt and cross his eyes.

"That is called getting decked...but I did it harder and in his face." He glared at her before returning her mischievous look. "Hiccup...?" He leaned forward and she quickly stood up, dread reading her expression. "Hiccup?" He got into a crouch. "I was just kidding, Hiccup..." His grin turned devilish and she shot off like a rocket with him hot on her heels. She forgot that he loved to roughhouse. Toothless chased after with Stormfly following. She shrieked as she dodged his tackle, slid underneath Toothless, and then hid behind Stormfly. The dragon boy chased her around the dragon, making Stormfly turn in circles, chirping excitedly at the new game of tackle. She squeaked, dodging him again. "Stormfly, help!" The Nadder caught her by the worn tunic she had borrowed from Valka and threw her in the air, Astrid screaming. She landed on Stormfly's back and sat up, hugging her neck. Hiccup tried to grab her, to help her down, but then Stormfly raced off towards a cliff and jumped.

Astrid screamed, eyes shut. This was it. She was going to die.

But she didn't, instead feeling the rushing air envelop her and ease the dragon into the sky.

Wingbeats entered her ears and she peeked one eye open before looking fully and sitting up just a bit more.

Stormfly was flying with Astrid on her back, albeit a bit unsteadily. She held onto Stormfly's spines tightly, looking around in astonishment. The only time she had been on dragon back was when Hiccup saved her from the ship and that was when she was in a coma. The dragons flying around her gave her confused glances, since she had not been in the air since she got there, but then they chittered at her in a friendly way. Stormfly's movements slowly became more fluid and strong, moving through the air like a dancer. She sat up more, heart thumping as she looked around.

The nest looked totally different from this perspective, the dragons down below looked tiny and harmless. The alpha was just as impressive above as he did below. Valka's cave merged with others, becoming indistinguishable. A caw from above caught her attention and she stared up into the growing shadows above, watching Hiccup and Toothless materialize from the darkness. He looked frantic and worried, but mellowed out when he saw her still safely on Stormfly's back. Toothless angled sideways slightly and swerved to their right side, bringing Hiccup close to inspect her. Giving her a once over, he glared down at Stormfly and hissed angrily at her, adding a few harsh growls to the end of his rant. Stormfly grumbled apologetically. "Am sorry, did not want you to fly just yet. Wanted to get language better first. Is Sky Eyes okay?" Astrid looked at him.

"Okay? I'm better than okay! This is amazing!" She laughed, looking around. "Look, there's the baby Scuttleclaws! And the Gronkles and there's the other Nadders! _Greetings!_ " Said dragons looked up and squawked a startled reply, having not expected the female human to be in the air. "This is what you like to do all day?" He smiled at her, relaxed now that she was okay.

"Flying is the best. Could fly all day if I could, but cannot. Only at night."

"Why only at night?" He sighed.

"Brother in Heart is the color of night. Easy to see during the day." Astrid nodded, understanding what he meant. Night Furies were famous for their ability to camouflage at _night._ That's why Toothless was pitch black, so no one could see him. Hiccup obviously styled his armor and most of his normal clothing after that fact, because a pitch black dragon seen flying in the clear skies of day was an easy target. Hiccup must have worried endlessly about being a liability to Toothless' safety and Toothless wouldn't fly without Hiccup with him.

At least not far.

"Can fly during grey clouds, though. Very fun to race Stormfly." At her name, the dragon squawked and Astrid spotted Valka watching them from below. She waved at them, a signal to come.

"Okay, how do I get Stormfly to go there?" She pointed to Valka. Hiccup grinned and pulled up on Toothless' neck, angling his head upward slightly. Toothless flew up slightly before Hiccup leaned in his mother's direction and the two were headed for her. Copying his movements, Astrid directed Stormfly to follow and she did, albeit a bit slower to accommodate the newbie rider. The two dragons landed and Hiccup slid off Toothless easy. Stormfly leaned down and Astrid followed, hobbling over. She had been in the sky for thirty minutes and developed a painful ache in her legs.

"Ahhh, I remember that feelin', lass. Don't worry, it gets easier the more ye fly." Valka helped her over to the cave where Stormfly followed. Cloudjumper appeared a few minutes later and sluggishly sat down. "Now, I need to talk to the two of ye." They sat down, "now, I want ye both to know...I have loved having Astrid here. Yer a sweet lass and smart too, and I think ye've had a real good influence on Hiccup. His Norse has never been better. Plus ye got on good with Stormfly, and that's better than anything I've ever thought possible...that bein' said, Astrid...I know ye have a home somewhere."

It felt like cold water had been splashed onto her. Hiccup seemed to freeze too. "...That's right..."

"I need to know what ye plan to do. I have no issues with you staying at the nest. Cloudjumper and Toothless seem to like ye and I don't think it's too hard to realize that Hiccup is completely taken by ye." Hiccup snarled, his face turning red for once. Astrid could mull over that fact later. "So do ye want to stay or do ye want to go home...needless to say, Stormfly would be wise to stay here where it's safe, but...I'm not her mother." The nadder chittered quietly.

"I...I...I don't know...I mean...my home is being destroyed by the raids and I have no clue how to stop it. And now that I know so much about dragons...I can't kill anymore." Hiccup stared at her, happiness shining in his eyes. It was like she'd passed a test with him now with flying colors. "But I can't just abandon my village. Berk needs me."

At the mention of Berk's name, Valka's eyes widened and she paled. The two looked at her in confusion, but she didn't explain herself. "Can I think about this?"

"Aye, of course, but please let me know soon." She nodded before standing up and walking out, Stormfly following. Hiccup glared at his mother. "What?"

 _"No tell Sky Eyes about love no!"_

 _"Rides the Night love love tell himself easy."_ Cloudjumper turned his head to the side, spikes raising in curiosity.

 _"Human Child shy yes no?"_

 _"NO! NO!"_ Toothless hopped around, yapping.

 _"Brother in Heart Sky Eyes Brother in Heart Sky Eyes hatchlings yes hatchlings yes!"_ Hiccup groaned and fell backwards as Valka laughed at his misfortune. Great, Toothless was a brother in almost every sense of the word.

* * *

Astrid lay awake that night with Stormfly sleeping by the ceiling tunnel. She could see the nocturnal dragons flying above in the shadows, Toothless not amongst them. He and Hiccup had flown out of the nest to patrol and wander happily. Cloudjumper's loud, yet strangely soft snores echoed through the air. She sat up quietly, mind racing. How could she have not thought of Berk?

It was in trouble and she forgot all about it, blinded by an amazing nest and it's resident dragon rider. A very cute, sweet...smart...brave dragon boy who saved her life before he even knew her name. What would her friends say? What would her parents say? They'd call her a traitor, for one. She'd probably be thrown in the arena and fed to the dragons within there, no weapons to defend herself.

Could she even defend herself?

Could she spill the guts of the Deadly Nadder trapped there when Stormfly had become the best friend a girl could ask for? Could she behead the Gronkle when she had spent the afternoon a few days ago cuddling some newborn Gronkle hatchlings? Could she make the Terrible Terror suffer after playing with the seemingly numerous ones here, all with their own personalities and their own quirks? Or what about the Monstrous Nightmare? She had woken up to them lately, coming to wish her a good morning. And the Hideous Zippleback? How could she hurt it when the ones here fooled everyone with their large size and scary appearance, only to be revealed as pranksters?

But to abandon Berk would be...she just couldn't do it. Berk was home and it was in trouble. But the dragons were not the problem. It was like an unwanted tree, where each killed dragon was like cutting off one branch. If they wanted to get rid of it, then they needed to get to the root.

Not the nest.

The Queen.

if they could just get rid of her, then she wouldn't have to be afraid of hurting dragons. There'd be no reason to. She sat up. That was it!

Dragons and vikings had a common enemy, the queen. If they worked together, they could defeat it and end this war. But how could she convince vikings to trust dragons enough to let them help? This war had been going on for three hundred years and many vikings looked upon the corpse of a dragon and spat on it. Astrid Hofferson was a respected warrior, but this would stretch things too much. She'd need an ally, but who? Who could help her? After all, she was a testament to how stubborn Hairy Hooligans could be and Hiccup got through to her, so why would it be-

That was it!

Hiccup! He was the answer again. If he could teach them about dragons, she could rally them to fight the dragon queen. With the combined strength of both dragons and vikings, they'd have even more of a shot of ending this. She had a plan! Astrid stood up and crept through the cave, past Valka and Cloudjumper, and out. Stormfly slept soundly as Astrid tiptoed towards the cliff that she and Hiccup usually frequented. She sat down, listening to the quiet.

It seemed like hours before Hiccup and Toothless arrived, using their keen eyesight to spot her in the low light. The Night Fury landed besides her and gave her a sleepy hello, exhausted from a night of fast paced flying that definitely included high risks maneuvers that she probably should not attempt on Stormfly.

She'd only just started flying yesterday. Hiccup hopped off Toothless' back and stood in front of her. "You should be sleep."

"I know." She stood up, closing the distance.

"Do you want to go home?" Astrid stared at him. He looked...scared. Like a child that was going to get something taken away from him, something important. His usually bright green eyes were glazed over with fear of her leaving? Valka did say he was absolutely in love with her. Astrid had passed it off as maternal teasing, but maybe she was closer to the truth than she thought.

"Hiccup..."

"I...I know I am...strange." He fumbled for words, slipping back into a more feral mindset, "I do not...speak like vikings...I do not eat...like viking...I do not...act like viking...But...I...I cannot..." He held her close, pressing her against his chest like he was afraid she'd disappear forever. "...I cannot...I... _love Sky Eyes do not no Sky Eyes love Sky Eyes love love yes yes..._ " He began babbling in Dragon and she finally got his attention by nipping at his ear as lightly as he could.

"Hiccup...I don't understand what you said, but..." He was kind and sweet, but she'd seen him wrestle down Monstrous Nightmares in minutes. He was smart, easily solving problems the others in the nest can't and often wowing her with his ideas. He was brave, staring down Whispering Deaths and Changewings and all sorts of dragons that could bring others to their knees. He talked to her like she'd been around him his whole life and didn't try to make her be more feminine to soothe his male ego. No, he wrestled with her and teased her just the same. It was clear that he didn't just see her as an equal.

He had wanted to share his world with her.

Astrid sighed, feeling a strange...happiness fill her. "Hiccup, do you know how viking girls...say they love you?" He looked confused.

"No...what is love?"

"It's...probably how you feel for me..." He blushed then but shook his head.

"I do not know."

"Close your eyes." He looked at her for a moment before closing his eyes. He felt something soft press against his mouth, something that seemed to intoxicate him. He brought Astrid closer, if that was possible, and his heart seemed to soar as high and fast as Toothless.

Astrid pulled back and smiled at him, which he returned. "So, I guess we're..."

"Mates?" Well, Hiccup would make any girl he married happy. Astrid had no qualms with being with him for eternity. She'd never be bored.

"Yes, Hiccup, we're mates." The glowing smile on his face almost made Astrid forget why she was waiting for him. "Ah, right! I need to talk to you, okay?" He nodded, eager to hear his new mate's words. "Hiccup, I need to go home." And now he looked crestfallen.

"You...do not want to be my mate?"

"No, no! I want to be mates, I want to be with you, that's not the reason why!" Hiccup glanced behind and it was then that Astrid realized that Toothless, and at some point Stormfly, was watching with interest. He hissed at them, causing the dragons to roll their eyes and leave.

"I am confused."

"Look, Hiccup, you'd do anything to protect this nest and everyone in it, right?" He nodded. "Listen, this war is going to tear everyone apart, dragon and human."

"I know."

"I know it-wait...you...know?" He nodded. At her raised eyebrow, he sighed and led her to a rock to sit before sitting besides her.

"When I was gone, we found Shakes Tail Loud. She comes from this nest. She was trapped by the bad Queen. She is raiding more." Astrid jumped and stared at him.

"What?"

"Must not let her reach the nest."

"Exactly!" She took his hands, "You want to protect the nest and I want to protect my village and we want to protect each other." He nodded, looking at her suspiciously. "But to do that, we need something to happen."

"...You want to teach about dragons." She stared at him, smiling nervously. Hiccup might not be too keen on coming to Berk. Sure, he was friendly and curious, but he was not daft to the fact that it would put them all in danger if he followed her.

"You were able to get through to me, Hiccup. I graduated top of my class when I was learning to kill dragons. And you taught me to fly on them." He grumbled at the mention of her surprise flying lesson. "If you can teach vikings to get along with dragons, we can stop the Queen. Then the nest won't be in any danger and..." She snuggled closer to him, "we could be together." Hiccup huffed.

"Will think about it." While she had hoped that Hiccup would agree immediately, she knew that it was a pretty tall order to ask him to not only risk their lives, but possibly the lives of Toothless, Stormfly, Cloudjumper, and his mom.

"Take all the time you need...Dragon Boy."

* * *

"Balance. Stormfly will not let fall. But you must be careful anyway." Astrid let him straighten her back by pushing the small of her back down and pull her chest up. "Do not be scared of sitting up. Will see more if you do." Stormfly crooned, wondering if they wanted to take off now or not. Hiccup purred at her and she began to walk.

"No flying, huh?"

"Not today. Will better your balance first." Riding Stormfly on the ground was much different than flying through the air. Before, Astrid felt the muscles connecting her wings to her shoulder blades and the tendons stretching and tightening to pull her wings up and down and hold them in place. Now, she felt her leg and thigh muscles work below them. The wings seemed to bounce up and down with her stomping footprints. Hiccup rode behind her, with Toothless following on the ground as well. "Good. Good."

"Huh...how fast can she go on land?" Before he could answer, Astrid bumped Stormfly's side with her leg, prompting a sprint. Hiccup let out a yowl as Stormfly took off running. Astrid held on for dear life, but then she was cracking up. She sprinted over rocks and to different cliffs and down the beach towards the Alpha's cove and then back again before Toothless caught up and Hiccup hopped onto his back. The two dragons raced before taking to the air. They shot out into the air, opting for ignoring Hiccup and exiting the nest via one of the numerous tunnels. Blasting out into the afternoon air, Astrid shivered a bit before the adrenaline kicked in and she caught sight of Hiccup and Toothless flying past her.

The sea below was beautiful, full with sea creatures Astrid could only imagine. "Look! Sea Roarers!" Astrid looked over and saw a pod of thunderdrums swimming below them. They hovered in the water before diving down deeper, probably pursuing food. "Double Waters!" What in the name of Thor was-oh, he meant the group of Sea Shockers swimming below them. Hiccup pointed out dragons that were much more rare and usually frequented the seas around the nest other than the skies. "Water Spitter!" Toothless dived and weaved between the towering necks of the Scauldrons and Stormfly followed, Astrid doing her best to move with Stormfly like Hiccup had mentioned before. The sea dwelling dragons crooned welcomingly, playing along with them. Astrid stared at them in wonder, since these dragons rarely came to the waters near Berk. She reached out and felt the soaked scales of one. It purred at her before diving.

"Wow."

"Come!" Hiccup's bark prompted her to follow into the clouds as he flew her around the icy waters of the Bewilderbeast's territory. "Look! Alpha!"

There he was. The alpha that barely ever moved was swimming within the water, submerged until just below the surface. She had almost never seen the bewilderbeast move much, aside from turning his head to look at particular dragons or events that call for his attention. She had caught him staring at her in amusement during her lessons a couple of times before he returned to his resting position. Now he was slicing through the water faster than any boat she had ever seen, be it Viking or Roman. He moved gracefully and soon, Astrid found herself flying to his side alongside Hiccup. "Where's he going?"

"Ask!" Her? Talk to the Alpha directly?

"That's...allowed?" Hiccup laughed at her.

"Yes! Ask!"

"Ummm...okay..." She cleared her throat, " _alpha! Alpha!"_ The alpha slowed and lay still for a moment to locate her before he turned to the left and shot off to a nearby glacier. "Did I offend him?"

"No. Follow." They did and was greeting to the Bewilderbeast sitting on the ice, looking at them curiously. He was even bigger out of the water than in it, and he was massive there. He towered above them in the air.

" ** _SPEAK._** " His roar was like thunder, but not intimidating. It just cemented the image of his royalty compared to the other dragons. Stormfly landed in front of him and bowed, as did Toothless and Hiccup. Astrid followed suit. " ** _FEMALE HUMAN CHILD SPEAK GOOD. YES. SPEAK WELL._** "

"Ummmm... _thank you yes? Where alpha go yes no maybe?_ " Astrid still did not get the sentence structure of Dragon Tongue, but she assumed she was getting the hang of it. The alpha rumbled.

 ** _"HUNTING. FEED._** "

"Hunting?" Hiccup stood finally.

"The alpha eats a lot."

"Why not get dragons to hunt for him?"

"Too dangerous." Hiccup smiled fondly at the Alpha as he lowered his gigantic head down to sniff him curiously, checking on his unique nest mate's health. "Dragons who raid are reckless. They are killed easily. Alpha will not risk his nest. Not like bad queen bad nest." She really had to ask Valka about dragon sentence structure, because sometimes Hiccup slipped it into Norse and that was just as bad as when he randomly babbled in Dragon Tongue. The alpha huffed, an uncharacteristically bitter icy wind blowing from inside him. Was he irritated?

 ** _"BAD NEST BAD QUEEN. TROUBLE. MUST FIX SOON."_** Hiccup responded rapidly in kind, so fast that Astrid had no hope to understand it, but from the alpha's quick glance to her then back to Hiccup, she assumed he relayed her plan to him. **_"TEACH...? GOOD TEACH...MUST THINK. WILL ANSWER SOON."_** With that, the colossal dragon stood again before sliding back into the icy depths and disappearing from sight.

"What did you tell him?"

"Told him Sky Eye's idea. If Alpha agrees, I will go...even if I do not agree." Toothless nodded solemnly. "Alpha will not put me in danger...but he will take risk."

"Why?"

"...Because he is leader...leader must make hard choices." Those words strung a chord within her as she remembered Stoick and his _unrelenting_ search for the nest at Helheim's Gate. Many people thought it was a fool's quest, destined to be nothing more than a way to get killed and lose supplies, but Stoick made that hard choice over and over again, even if no one supported him. Because he was a leader who had to support hundreds of villagers and that was not an easy task.

* * *

Finally!

It had been a week of solitude and peace. Finally, there had been no signs of dragons in the skies and Stoick was grateful for the reprieve. He knew it would not last, however, because soon the dragons would return with renewed hunger and bloodlust. Perhaps even those demons needed a chance to rest from war before continuing? After all, they could be killed. That must mean that they had some weaknesses in them. The chief stood at the docks, awaiting the arrival of their guests.

The Bog Burglars.

A tribe comprised entirely of female viking warriors, with the occasional man slave and such. They had been in a distant treaty for some years now, since the Burglars had no interest in going to war with a village located on an island bigger than theirs and the Hooligans had no interest in being robbed at sea every time they passed the seas of Breakneck Bog. The boats had been sighted earlier that day just off the coast and he was going to be there to welcome their chief, Big Boobied Bertha and her...spirited heir, Camicazi.

Camicazi would soon be taking over the tribe when her mother decided to finally step down, so it was a good idea for him to get closer to her in order to ensure that the treaty continues. And for his own current heir to get to know her too.

Speaking of that buffoon, where was-"SNOTLOUT!"

There he was. The boy had been the obvious choice after his infant son was carried off alongside his beloved, yet doomed wife. Throughout the years, he had proved himself to be a strong viking with a strong sense of...something. That was actually all he had going for him at the moment, he was strong. Sure, if Astrid were still around, he would have simply let her take care of the technicalities of running the village and Snotlout could be the...figurehead for the chiefdom, but then fate decided to slap Stoick across the face. Now the only eligible young woman was Ruffnut and many villagers were thinking of moving to different tribes if she was to be future chieftess. Stoick was already discussing sending for a bride from another tribe.

Besides, it wasn't like Snotlout was impressing Ruffnut (or her, surprisingly, protective brother) with his desperate declarations of love and how she'd make an amazing chieftess.

Said viking was lazily trudging up the dock, his hammer swung over his shoulder as he walked with an overconfident swagger that was rampant in viking men his age. Except usually, by now, they'd had _that_ type of confidence beaten out of them by the nonstop battles against dragons, Berserkers, and Outcasts. His helmet sat upon his head, shining brightly with the yak horns sharpened to pristine points. His tunic was fit snuggly against his chest with his beefy, meaty arms. He stood below Stoick a good foot and a half, but that did not deter him from standing haughtily beside his uncle. His boots were muddy, though, from all the time he wasted wrestling with the other men in the village when he should be doing his lessons. "Ye were supposed to be here thirty minutes ago, where were ye?"

"I just had some business, that's all."

"Let me guess...trying to impress Ruffnut again?" His pointed silence answered for him. "She hit ye in the stomach with Tuffnut's mace, didn't she?"

"It was just a little love tap, is all."

"And that love tap is the reason why ye look like yer about the barf." Snotlout shut up at that, glaring out at sea. The ship would be there any minute and Stoick needed his nephew to get his head in the game and focus on the situation. Just because he and Bertha had been comrades since they were both young chiefs did not mean that the treaty could not go sour. Plus, it was vital that Camicazi become allies with Snotlout as well, because they did not want another Dagur incident.

The ship pulled into the harbor and the walking plank was thrown over to the dock. Stoick sucked in his gut, already incredibly sucked in by the ceremonial belt. A large viking woman decked out in armor and cutlasses stood besides the plank and cleared her throat. "Announcing the high chief of the Bog Burglars! Tamer of Seas! Queen of Thieves! And slayer of a thousand Scauldrons! Announcing! Big Boobied Bertha!" At the mention of her name, the chief stood at the top of the plank.

She was not called Big Boobied Bertha for nothing. Her chest was about as big as her hips, and those were of impressive size as well. She wore a heavily armored breastplate and a large viking helmet, signifying her position as chief. She stomped down the plank with a loud, "Chief Stoick! How long has it been?" She clasped his hand in a firm handshake and a smile.

"Bertha! It's always a pleasure to have ye grace Berk!"

"Ye up for another round of drinks? Bet I can outdo ye this time." And there it was. Bertha and Stoick had a bit of a friendly rivalry between them that spread to the entirety of both their tribes. Stoick laughed.

"Ye got yerself a deal, Bertha." The two shook on it, "I'm sure ye remember Snotlout." Bertha suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Sure, the boy had strength, but that was all he had going for him. He had a habit of flirting with all her warriors when she came upon the Hooligans, and usually ended up with a black eye/sprained ankle/broken wrist/broken arm/broken leg/broken nose/ etc. Camicazi had a habit of causing him more damage than she did dragons, but Bertha could hardly blame her. After all, they were Bog Burglars. If Snotlout thought they'd go googly eyed at him just because he was a very definition of Viking, then it was very possible that Camicazi might kill him.

"Of course, and ye remember my heir, Camicazi." Said girl stood beside her mother, looking around with a bored expression. Well, she was anything but bored, hoping to catch sight of the twins. Ruffnut and her were good friends and she had been flirting with Tuffnut for the last two years or so. She got along fine with Astrid, but with the girl's recent disappearance, she was sure she'd never see the shield maiden she had grown to admire again.

"I do. It's good to see ye again, Camicazi." The pretty blonde smiled back up at Stoick. She had always liked him. She just wished his idiot nephew took a few pages from his book and backed off.

"Great to see you too, Chief Stoick. You're looking as strong as ever."

"I certainly hope so. Those blasted dragons have only let up this week and, coincidentally, it's the week of your visit. I dunno whether to thank Odin for the rest or curse those dragons for not giving us a chance to fight together."

"Well, we had a bit of trouble ourselves late last month before we set off." The chiefs and their heirs began to walk towards the town.

"Oh?"

"Aye, another dragon raid. One of the worst we've had in over a year. And, get this, this raid had a Night Fury." The group stopped at the foot of the Great Hall. Stoick stared in disbelief. They had seen a Night Fury earlier that month. Could it be the same one? "Around the last Thorsday, I believe. It was like, one moment, we're gearing up our catapults to fire and catch some of the blasted things and the next-BOOM! Five catapults destroyed in one single shot. Nearly took out the warriors too if they hadn't of ducked. We lost all the dragons we caught that night and about a third of our food, surprisingly. Thought they'd take much more than that."

Stoick was silent on the way up the steps. A Night Fury attacking the Bog Burglars and he had received word earlier that same month of the Meathead Tribe being attacked by a Night Fury as well. And then there was Bucket and Mulch, who spotted the creature flying about near Thor's Rock, with Bucket insisting that someone was riding it. Now, sure, rumors could spread quickly, but what were the odds that two tribes and his two men had spotted Night Furies?

"That's not the only thing!" Camicazi spoke excitedly as she remembered some detail her mother forgot. Or pretended to forget, if the older woman's exasperated look said anything. "There was someone riding it."

"What?!" Now it was getting to be uncanny. Camicazi smirked as she began.

"Heres what happened."

* * *

 _(GUESS WHAT THIS IS :D)_

 _(Breakneck Bog, three days before Hiccup's return to the nest)_

 _Fire reigned down from the heavens like rain, roasting the modest homes and sheds of Breakneck Bog. The Bog Burglars were scrambling to get the fires put out whilst also battling bloodthirsty dragons. The chaos was at a level that even the Twins would shudder at. Camicazi stood in front of the storage shed that was preserved for winter, fending off Gronkles and Nadders as they made dashes for the food with crazed looks in their eyes. The blonde was sweaty despite the cold air and tired despite that she was "technically" on break from all the pirating she had been doing the past few months. Her sisters rushed past her, crowding little girls into the arena to be safe. She desperately wished to go with them to defend the littler sisters, but she had to protect the shed while the usual guards went to grab more gear._

 _The sky seemed to be overrun with dragons, swooping and diving into the village and the docks, snatching up livestock and crops and vikings with seemingly no pattern._

 _This was one of the worst raids she had seen in her entire life, but she assumed that other villages closer to the nest had been through this and worse. She would not complain. She would not cower. She would clench her teeth and fight back. Suddenly, a shriek echoed its way through to her and she turned in time to see one of the little girls, a girl named Hilda, cornered by a Monstrous Nightmare. It was large and bloody red with black spots and long horns. In fact, it was bigger than any Nightmare she'd ever seen. Camicazi's eyes widened._

 _A Titan Wing. "Hilda!" She screamed, finally abandoning her post as she rushed with her swords in hand. Hilda was only five, she didn't need to die. Camicazi had to get to her. The Titan Wing roared angrily as it began to advance on Hilda, who squeaked and ducked as a torrent of fire blazed the air above her. Then she got up and ran as fast as she could. The Nightmare took off after her, reaching with its long jaws for the five-year-old . Just as Camicazi was about to throw one of her swords at the creature's neck, a black blur whizzed above her head, scooped up Hilda, and disappeared into the night for a split second before reappearing behind the Titan Wing Monstrous Nightmare._

 _Camicazi froze in her tracks, not believing what she was staring. The Nightmare spun around and roared angrily from being denied it's meal._

 _A Night Fury stared it down with a glare that sent chills into the spines of every living creature around it. It answered the challenge with a thundering roar, fanning out it's wings to prove of its might. And atop the beast was, not only Hilda, but a man._

 _He was dressed in black leather and armor with straps wrapped around his torso and stomach. Below the black armor were black scales and he wore matching arm gauntlets. The mask he wore covered his face, but she could make out the vibrant green of his eyes. He sat behind Hilda, patting her head and whispering something that made the little girl calm down and look at him in confusion before she spotted Camicazi._

 _"Cazi!" She slid off the dragon, who paid the little girl no mind and yet growled furiously when the Titan Wing took a step towards her. The five-year-old rushed to Camicazi and then the Night Fury snarled at the bigger dragon, surprisingly backing the Titan Wing into a corner before it took off into the skies, obviously losing interest in Hilda if it infuriated the superior dragon. Camicazi felt like she was staring at Loki himself, unable to move or breathe for fear of enraging the monster and its rider. The two ignored her before she finally took one step towards them, to do what, she was not sure herself. The man (?) whipped his head to look at her before making a crooning noise and the dragon responded in kind, taking to the skies faster than Thor's hammer._

 _Camicazi stood in the midst of chaos, unsure of what to do, but now knowing that something strange was happening. Someone was riding a dragon._

* * *

"Camicazi, I've told ye a million times, there's no way a man could be ridin' a dragon, much less a Night Fury." Bertha pat her daughter on the head, "must'a been the smoke that got to the lass."

"I'm telling you, Mum, someone was ridin' that Night Fury. Somehow he was controllin' it, how else did it fend off that Titan Wing? Why else would it leave Hilda alone? It was being controlled." Camicazi smirked, "if we could learn what he did, how he controlled a Night Fury...then we could finally get rid of the dragons!" Bertha sighed, obviously giving up on arguing.

"See? This is what this war is doin' to us, drivin' us to delusions and such." Camicazi made a noise of protest as Snotlout tried to put his arm around her to comfort her on her "dramatics", but silenced after a look from her mother.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that, Bertha." Gobber came hobbling up, chuckling as Camicazi twisted Snotlout's arm behind his back painfully. "We saw a Night Fury recently too, durin' the day."

"WHAT!?" The Great Hall echoed from the group's shout of surprise, staring at the blacksmith's face in search for joking in any way. Not a chance, they discovered as the blacksmith began to speak.

"Bucket and Mulch were out fishing by Thor's Rock to replenish the supply stores when they spotted a dragon as black as night and flying faster than any arrow can hope to. Said it was the size of a yak, but had the biggest wings they'd ever seen. Flew right over them with nary a glance and shot at the water, snatching up the fish that flew into the air like it was pickin' berries." The group of women leaned in after they all sat at the chief's table, interested in the story.

"That sounds exactly like what I saw. No horns or anything like that, right?"

"Not that they saw. But it had a long tail with a sail on each side. Bucket swears to Odin and anyone else that he saw someone ridin' it. All dressed in black, like the dragon, but sitting upright like a man. Mulch said about the same thing as Bertha, but Camicazi still has her wits about her. So, maybe someone is out there ridin' a Night Fury."

"Gobber, that's ridi-"

"I refuse to make any assumptions until I've seen this dragon myself." Camicazi sighed.

"No chance of seein' that Night Fury durin' the day again. Might have to wait until your next raid." The vikings grumbled amongst themselves about the possibility of a person riding one of the most dangerous dragons known in Midgard. If there really was a dragon rider flying through the skies, then they might have a major problem on their hands.

* * *

 **I don't really like how some of this chapter came out. I mean, yeah, Astrid learning Dragon Tongue is fun and I like how Stormfly just SPRUNG a random flying lesson in. I also love how the Alpha came out, he really gave me a feel of a being who is more and more regal the more you get to know him, it also felt like Hiccup wouldn't just fly off with Astrid when he knows a plan like that could endanger the entire nest, so he leaves the decision to the Bewilderbeast.**

 **But it was the confession that threw me off, that's what took me so long. I kept wanting to rewrite it or take it out completely. I mean, it felt really rushed to me, that Astrid runs out to try and convince Hiccup about her plan, have Hiccup confess his love, then her pitching the idea to him like a gold digger. But each time I took it out, the other scenes didn't seem to fit.**

 **So, just imagine this happened during a montage. The whole love thing built up with a montage, like in Tarzan and Beauty and the Beast and...Tangled...but with songs from My Chemical Romance.**

 **If I can think up another way to approach the confession later, I'll rewrite this chapter, but for now...let's move along.**

 **I also had a few reservations with how I conveyed Camicazi. Obviously, I have only seen the HHTYD movies and shows, so I have not had much exposure to Camicazi aside from fan fictions. I also know that Astrid was meant to replace Camicazi, so theoretically, both Camicazi and Astrid are the same person and cannot exist in the same plane of existence for fear of destroying the very fabric of time and space, but if you remember I did mention that there was a Deadly Nadder in Berk's training arena. Now, obviously, that Nadder is not Stormfly. But that also means there is an extra dragon that will not have a rider, because I have decided that all original trainers will have their original dragons.**

 **So Camicazi was needed for the extra dragon, who might be male if I so choose...but if Camicazi seems a bit OOC, then there is why.**


	8. Chapter 8

Dance of the Fireworms

He sat upon his dragon. Alone for the first time in a few weeks. He had had his time tied up with guarding the nest, teaching Astrid to fly and speak Dragon Tongue, along with dealing with the annual dragon flight increase. It was nearly spring and that meant that dragons would be flying from the nest more often. That also meant that vikings would be frequenting the waters more often, so fights would increase amongst the vikings and dragons. Plus, the increased amount of injuries and tension would affect the tranquility of the nest. Hiccup knew he would be busy mediating fights within the nest during the nights and late afternoons as his mother rested. He wanted to see if Astrid would like to patrol with him, but the job included harming vikings, both directly and indirectly. While she did like dragons now, he doubted she wanted to hurt vikings.

Toothless rested on an icy glacier a good mile or two from the nest, where they watched dragons soar in and out of the nest as the moon hung high in the sky. The waters below churned quietly with sea creatures drowsily coasting amongst the ice. The whole world was peaceful, just as he liked it. " _Quiet yes good nice yes wind yes soft happy peaceful quiet yes yes._ "

Hiccup hummed in agreement, leaning forward onto Toothless' head and letting out a deep, lethargic sigh. It was times like these that the two wouldn't want to be anywhere but here, with those who loved them and that they loved back. The dangerous outer world with vikings and deadly traps was far away and could hurt no one. The beautiful sky and friendly water could sing to them soft lullabies as the moon hugged them with her light.

Their world was at peace.

Soft wingbeats sifted through the air and Hiccup peeked on eye open as he heard a familiar shriek, announcing Stormfly's arrival. And with Stormfly came Sky Eyes, his new mate. Maybe that contributed to his good mood? He had everything he needed. He turned to her lazily, chirping a return greeting in tune with Toothless, who kept a lazy vigil over their home. "Geez, it's freezing out here. _Cold yes no maybe?_ How do you stand it?" He grinned at her somewhat firmer grasp on Dragon Tongue. Sure, she spoke with an accent, often got the sentence structure wrong, and preferred to use Viking words. But she was better than before and could have simple conversations with the others. She even admitted that it was less lonely that way.

" _Brother in Heart warm yes yes good no cold. Flies Through Stormy Skies warm yes no maybe?_ " Stormfly squawked, flapping her wings a few times before shaking her head rapidly.

" _Fire burns strong yes yes! Warm yes yes good health yes!_ " Astrid looked to him for confirmation.

"Asking dragon is warm means are you healthy? She says she is. A cold dragon very sick." Astrid nodded, understanding.

"Why does she shake her head like that?" He shrugged.

"Spikey Tail thing. When about to speak for first time, shake head and wings. Different for Night Hunters. Shake head after greeting directly."

"I guess Toothless told you that."

"Good to know when meeting other Night Hunters." Astrid was quiet for some time before she realized something.

"Night Hunters?" Toothless glanced at her, groaning inquiringly. "Wait, the dragon word for Night Fury is Night Hunter?"

"Yes."

"And...there are more!?" Hiccup nodded, staring at her. "But they're the rarest dragon known. And the only one I've seen is Toothless. Where are the other ones?"

"Night Hunters like space. Do not like nests much. Toothless is shy too." His adoptive brother snorted in response, returning to his vigil as the moon inched slowly across the sky. "But Toothless is a mate and dad." Astrid stared at Toothless. His kind chose to be alone? True, a nest full of Night Furies would scare any sane viking, but to simply choose to be alone simply for the desire to have space was unimaginable. Didn't he wonder about his hatchlings? Did he miss his mate? Or maybe Toothless had a mother and father somewhere out there? Hiccup noticed her look, "do not be sad. Brother in Heart is happy. Sees Chases the Light. Loves her."

Chases the Light must be Toothless' mate.

Astrid sat beside Toothless as her...mate watched the nest happily. They did agree to be together, right? Though, now that she thought about it, Hiccup made no move onto her. He didn't try to make out or sleep in bed with her and there was no talk of sex between them even though Valka assures her that he knows exactly how things work.

Hiccup was content to talk and hang out.

And while Astrid was glad he wasn't constantly trying to undo her breast bindings, she kind of wanted him to be intimate with her. She wasn't the kind of girl to dream of handsome boys sweeping her off her feet, but every girl wanted some love.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Hiccup spoke up, smiling at her, "want to fly?" Astrid looked at him, smiling brightly. That was one of the best ways to talk to him, when he was in flight. He seemed to be so much more free there, free and happy.

"Sure, where to?" His look turned impish.

"Surprise." That was unusual. Hiccup was raised by dragons and with that came blatant honesty. Astrid had learned that keeping secrets was a mainly human thing and to keep a secret from others was unheard of. So for Hiccup to keep something secret was strange. She mulled over this as he helped her onto Toothless.

"Wait, Stormfly-"

"Is tired." She looked back and, he was right, the Nadder was nodding off. Deadly Nadders were not usually out this late, so it was only natural that she was burning the night oil just to keep up with Astrid's attempt to visit Hiccup during his night patrol. The girl got down from Toothless and approached the sleepy nadder, causing the dragon to squawk and begin to stand to follow.

"Hey, girl, sorry I forgot you need to rest. Head on back, Toothless will get me home." The nadder grumbled an agreement and straightened her braid in a normal Deadly Nadder farewell. She had learned that grooming was not only a favored Nadder pastime, but an affectionate way to say hello and goodbye to mates and family.

 _"Home yes nest yes no late no home soon yes yes safe."_

 _"Yes home safe soon yes Races the Night safe mate safe yes."_ The nadder crooned before turning into a sprinting run and taking off. Hiccup smiled at her, impressed as she climbed on behind him.

"Ready?"

 _"Yes! Fly yes?"_

 _"Yes yes fly sky yes fun good sky yes!"_ Toothless' enthusiastic reply was coupled with an almost instant leap straight into the sky, Astrid letting out an earsplitting scream. The wind rushed past her ears and sounded like a Thunderdrum's roar, effectively masking the laughter of Hiccup as she struggled to hold on. She grasped for him, any part would do. She finally grappled onto his torso and held on for dear life. Toothless finally leveled out high above the clouds and began to simply soar amongst the glowing stars.

Then he dipped down towards the water and she let out another scream as Hiccup laughed, spinning the entire way down. This must have been the duo's thought of a prank because she was soon repeatedly dumped underwater and into the frigid air and back again before the Night Fury shot back into the air and leveled out into a peaceful glide. Hiccup turned around, smirking at her, "fun?"

"No! Not fun, you-you...MUTTONHEAD!" She hit him in the back, making him laugh harder through the pain.

"Don't worry, no more fun."

"I swear to the Gods, Hiccup, I'll get you for that!"

"Still love?"

"Yes, but if you do that again, both you and Toothless will pay."

 _"Brother in Heart's plan yes yes."_ Toothless laughed as he headed to some destination that was still a secret. She just hoped it wasn't as "fun" as Hiccup's prank.

* * *

The island was rocky and quiet, covered in sand and tough plant life. It had little water, no vegetation, and no wildlife whatsoever. So why Hiccup insisted that they come here was a mystery. He even sent Toothless off, saying that the dragon would feel much more at home in a nearby island said to be filled with wild boar, enough to for him to snack on contently. The feral boy crouched against the rocky slopes of "Golden Skin Island", helping his new mate along the perilous sides as they scaled across towering rocky hills.

"So, why did you want to come here?" It was then that she noticed that he had stashed blankets and food somewhere along their path and was also carrying those while holding her hand to keep her stable. She took one for herself and continued to follow. He looked at her and clicked, the strangely untranslatable but accepted dragon term for "wait". They came to a flat plan jutting out from the mountainous island, where the thunderous sea roared underneath. He laid out his blanket and hers, side by side, and sat down.

"It is almost time," he said excitedly, pushing her to sit beside him. She did and watched as he hopped up the slope again, much faster than he had been when taking her down. Perhaps he had done this before? He came back quickly, carrying a basket of fruits and bread. When had he gotten those? Did he hide all this stuff purposely? And when had he hidden them? She knew that Hiccup wasn't in the nest twenty-four seven, but to be able to set all this up before-wait, was this a date?

Astrid couldn't help it, she blushed.

Hiccup, the feral dragon raised boy, whom at first couldn't even fathom dragons killing for fun, had set up a date.

Said boy sat beside her and held up the basket, offering her first pick. She picked up a strange looking fruit that was covered in some orange peel and about the size of her fist. "Ah!" When she got ready to bite in, he stopped her and began to take off the peel. "Not good. Bad taste." He said, discarding the peel and handing it back over. She took a bite and moaned a bit. It was very sweet with a slightly sour taste underlining it. He snickered before picking up an apple, she had seen them on Trader Johann's ship, and biting into it. "Good?"

"Yeah, this is great. When did you think of it?" He blushed.

"Mum say you would like it. Want to be happy..." She smiled softly at him and scooted closer. Then punched him in the arm. "Why?"

"That's for the crazy flying earlier..." Then she kissed him, "that's for this." The dragon boy puffed up like a proud Nightmare, scooted close to her too. "So, what's so great that you kept it secret the entire way here?" He simply pointed his finger up and she stared up at the dark, starry sky. It was lovely in itself, with dark blues and purples swirling together like a dream. Something flew out from above them, in a cave way up high, and she blinked. It shone bright gold, like a miniature sun, fluttering around in the skies. Then another came, and another, and soon thousands of these tiny golden lights were zipping across the skies in dizzying circles and loops. She sat up, watching the night sky light up with these things. "What are those? Fireflies?" Hiccup sniggered and shook his head.

One landed near, curious of the newcomers and Astrid got a close look.

Fireworms!

She stood a good distance away, but she could feel the immense heat coming from the teeny tiny dragon. Hiccup chittered and chirped at it, and it responded before taking off. After assuring the sentry that they were just watching, Hiccup relaxed. Astrid stared up in amazement as they swayed with the wind, flying over the water and causing steam to erupt from the sea. "Why are they doing that?" Hiccup shrugged.

"Do not know."

"So this is Fireworm Island..." He shrugged, not caring for viking words for dragons. They seemed to be too vague for his taste. "What about their nest? Where is it?" He pointed to the well camouflaged cave behind them. "Wow."

"Cannot go in. Golden Skin Queen very protective. Does not like intruders."

"Ah, so she'll attack us."

"No worse."

"What?"

"Tell Alpha. Alpha tell Mum. Mum get angry." That made her crack up as Hiccup's face became ashen with the horrors of being told on by the Fireworm Queen, who was devious enough to know how to keep the troublesome dragon-boy out of a nest was to tell his equally as dangerous mother. "Not funny. Mum almost killed me."

"Really? Why?"

"You." That made her blink. "Brought Sky-Eyes to nest." Well, Valka had been pretty standoffish towards her when she woke up and the first few weeks that she was healing. But they had bonded during the time Hiccup had gone off. So, maybe she felt better about her now? "Was not happy. No good that viking girl here, she said. Dangerous."

"Why does your mom hate vikings so much?"

"No hate. Different. Do not know much. Viking family hate dragons. Fight a lot. Was only a hatchling. Cloudjumper come during raid. Find us, saved us, took us to Alpha. Taught Mum about dragons, protected me, raised me. Cloudjumper is good Father-in-Heart."

"You keep saying that," Astrid mentioned, "what does that mean?" Hiccup thought for a moment, leaning back on his hands as he watched the Fireworms absentmindedly.

"I am viking-child born. Mum is viking-woman born. Cloudjumper is dragon. Cannot be...fathered by Cloudjumper. Night Hunters only mate Night Hunters. Spikey Tails only mate Spikey Tails. Vikings mate vikings." Astrid had to piece what he was saying together before speaking.

"You're saying that since humans can only have children with humans, you know Cloudjumper isn't really your father."

"Cloudjumper raised me. Cloudjumper protected me. Cloudjumper love me, I love Cloudjumper. He is Father in my heart."

"...He's adopted you." He looked at her.

"What is adopted?"

"It means he's your parent even though you're not his child by blood...or egg." He nodded.

"Yes, yes. I am Cloudjumper Son-in-Heart. Toothless is Brother-In-Heart."

"Your adoptive brother."

"Toothless call Mum Mother-in-Heart. Toothless call Cloudjumper Father-in-Heart. Mum call Toothless Son-In-Heart." She leaned against his chest and watched the sky too.

"You're all really close, huh?"

"Yes...nest is my family. Many brothers and sisters. Toothless is closest brother, but love all. Cloudjumper play with me while young. He taught Brother-in-Heart to fly. Worried when I was sick."

"So, what's your favorite memory of your childhood?" He smiled.

"Napping."

"Napping?" The ever hyperactive Hiccup enjoyed his naps? She imagined that he was a little terror during his toddler years. He nodded.

"Cloudjumper would take me and Toothless, hang upside down, and swing to sleep in his wings. Always warm and cozy, soft and snug, he would not move for hours even if he was hungry. Not until we woke for food." Astrid smiled.

"He sounds like he's a great dad. All sweet and nice-" he snorted. "What?"

"Not always. Once snuck out to see Flightmare, had to be saved, was grounded for weeks and Cloudjumper would roar at me whenever I tried to leave house. Very, very angry." She laughed. "Scared him badly, felt very sad for it. Went and caught him biggest fish ever."

"Awww...he still sounds like a great dad."

"Yeah..." His despondent tone alerted her to something being wrong despite his agreement.

"What is it?" He grimaced and stood up, pacing while scratching his neck.

"I love Cloudjumper. A lot. He is best dad...but...but..." She answered for him.

"You want to know about your birth father." He looked at her with a guilty gleam in his eyes, like he was betraying Cloudjumper by saying that he wanted to know whom had father him and had loved his mother as a mate., like he was saying that Cloudjumper's fathering wasn't good enough for him. It tore at him, an unnecessary guilt that relentlessly clawed at his consciousness. "It's completely normal to wonder about that, Hiccup."

"But Cloudjumper was enough. More than that. Cloudjumper was a good Father, love him so much!"

"Hiccup, does Toothless love you?" He nodded, no question in his mind. Toothless had often risked his life to save Hiccup's and vice versa. They were raised together, they played and fought together, and even flew together. "But there must be times that Toothless wonders about his family, right?" He paused, staring at the ground. She stood up, walking over and hugging him tightly. It must hurt to know that somewhere in the world was another family member that he didn't know.

That he might have grandparents or uncles or aunts that he didn't get to know.

That he has a history that will remain blank unless he leaves the only family he's known his whole life, possibly forever.

A family that watched his first steps, heard his first words, and loved him every minute.

"Cloudjumper loves you. He raised you like he really was your father. I don't know as much about dragons as you do, but I don't think he'll feel bad if you ask him about that part of you. He knows you love him. He knows that, to you, he will always be your Father. But, if you want to know, maybe you should ask your mum-"

 _"No!"_ Hiccup sighed, "...mum gets very sad...does not like to talk..."

"Oh...then, I guess Cloudjumper could tell you something..." He sighed, sitting back down on the blankets, pulling her with him.

"No more sad talk, Sky Eyes. Golden Skins are playing, look."

* * *

 _CLANG!_

 _CHING!_

 _THWACK!_

 _SHRRNG!_

The sparks literally flew as Ruffnut sweated through her spar with Camicazi. She and the Bog Burglar heir had been longtime friends, along with Astrid, for years now. They had fought dragons together, occasionally, and sharpened their weapons by the river together. The two blondes locked swords together, panting hot breath into each other's faces as the sun beat down on them on an uncharacteristically warm day for Berk. It was the first of the year and many were out to enjoy it before they had to bundle up again for their frigid springtime. "So, how're you and Tuff doin'? He ain't tellin' me anything." Camicazi's face was flushed, whether it was from the workout or the question was up for debate. She kicked Ruffnut in the stomach and rolled away as the Berkian girl flew across the arena.

"I dunno, how're you and Snotface?" Ruffnut gagged comically, making her opponent cackle. "What, Ruff? Don't you want all that viking manliness? Chieftess Ruffnut Jorgenson...nice ring, don't you think?" At that, Ruffnut threw a hammer her way, which she ducked. Both were visibly tired and had only begun to spar due to boredom. Camicazi didn't have much to do, as simply the heir, with Bertha went about with Stoick and Gobber, doing chief things. Tuffnut watched with rapt attention, enjoying the look of Camicazi fighting and causing his sister more pain than he ever could.

It was so hot.

Once he realized the spar was over, he hurried down to the arena and through the gate, "wow, Cami, you got way tougher. It was so cool, when you bashed Ruffnut's head into the wall." His sister was suddenly beside him.

"Really? Felt cool too, you should try it." He looked at her in suspicious confusion.

"...Really?"

"Yup, allow me!" With that, she snatched his throat, slammed his head into the rock wall, and snickered when her unconscious brother slid down slowly. Camicazi rolled her eyes, more than a little used to their sibling war. The term war is used because they caused more pain to each other than a viking caused to an outcast. The blonde vikings walked out, lugging their weapons as they discussed a rather interesting topic.

"Wait, so people have seen this guy before?"

"Well, duh! A few traders from the Meathead Tribe were talking all about him. One second, they're loading catapults. The next, nothing but piles of splinters and a dragon that no one could see was zipping all around. No one could land anything on it, no arrows, no nets, nothing! It was freaky. Twice as much damage as usual, and not any dragons caught." Ruffnut smirked, "dude, if we could get that dragon, we'd be legends!"

Camicazi nodded, "yeah, but you never looked into that thing's eyes. It was like it was daring me to chase it and the Dragon Rider, telling me I would lose. And, honestly, I thought I would. How anyone could ride a monster like that is...unthinkable."

"What if he's not even human?"

"Yeeeah..." The girls screamed and turned around to see a fully awake Tuffnut had caught up with him. Fishlegs stood beside him, holding an empty water bucket. Which explained why Tuffnut was completely drenched. Fishlegs had been a pudgy boy when he was younger and was often made fun of by the twins and Snotlout. Astrid had found value in him with his vast knowledge of dragons and how to take them down, even though he'd sooner run than fight. Camicazi wasn't bothered by him and usually roped him into her crazy schemes.

But that was years ago, and now he had grown into his body, becoming taller and much more solid than before. He learned how to hold himself decently in a fight and could speak without stuttering for the most part. The viking spotted Ruffnut and blushed, waving shyly. She rolled her eyes and looked at Tuffnut.

"Seriously, though, what if the Dragon Rider isn't human? He's...some sort of ghost riding a demon dragon in the night, snatching away vikings and blasting away villages."

"Okay, that is stupid. Ghosts don't exist."

"Fine...he's obviously a dragon."

"A dragon...riding a dragon...seriously?" Fishlegs shook his head, "dragons are highly territorial and, aside from raids, don't get along. I highly doubt that he's another dragon."

"Well," Cami began, "he didn't have any wings...but I saw his fingers and Hilda said he spoke that a boy, so he can't be a dragon."

"Dragons are versed in dark magic. I bet it takes the form of a human." It was beginning to be ridiculous, but the Dragon Rider rumor was one of the most popular topics to date. The very idea of some human riding a creature that vikings had been fighting for centuries, even more so that it's one of the most lethal species.

"Hey! Wait up!" The girls groaned in irritation as Snotlout came running down the bridge, apparently released from his duties as heir for the day. He had divided up his flirtations between the two and they were not happy with the accommodations. Snotlout caught up, smirking and breathing heavily. "Hey, girls, finish sparring?"

"Yeah, I got Ruff good in the stomach."

"Yeah, well, I gotcha good in the leg." Snotlout smirked mischievously.

"Well, if you girls have any bruises, I'll be happy to kiss them better." That earned him a disgusted grunt (Ruffnut), a pointed look (Camicazi), and a loud "eww" (Tuffnut). "Anyway, what were you talking about?"

"The Dragon Rider, duh. It's all anyone is talkin' about now."

"Yeah, well, guess what? I hear that the Bog Burglars, the Meatheads, and Berk are gonna put out a ransom on him." The group crowded around Snotlout, now interested in what he had to say. The boy was an open book, never really getting that there were things he wasn't really supposed to tell. Whatever, if it got him more popularity, so be it. "They're sending a message to the Meatheads, but they want the guy alive so they can interrogate him. We think he might know where the nest is, if we can get him to talk, we can win this war."

"Snotlout, that is the most..." Cami paused and thought for a moment. "You know what, that's a great idea...we just need the Dragon Rider to show us where the nest in. We find him, we find the nest, we end the war...Gods, Snot, you're a genius!"

"I am...? I mean, of course I am! No idiot could be the heir of Berk!" The whole group had to swallow their responses to that as Cami continued.

"The problem is just where he would go."

"Aside from the Meatheads, us, and the Bog Burglars, there've been no reports of a Night Fury during their raids," Fishlegs piped in, thinking hard. "No reports from other fishing boats or merchants...no strange things happening...nothing spotted near Helheim's Gate."

"Okay...it's a Night Fury. The rarest dragon ever...we know _nothing_ about it, not it's speed, not it's weakness, we barely just figured out what it looked like and it might be a stretch there. So, toss out everything you know is common about dragon species..."

"...They don't travel in groups."-Fishlegs

"Okay, loner species."

"They never miss."-Ruffnut

"Amazing aim."

"...Okay, like all dragons they eat fish."

"Right..."

"Dark scales..."

"So, they'd either go to a place with a lot of shadows, little light...best place to hunt and hide from predators."

"...Helheim's Gate has no places that are effective for that. Maybe during the evening, but during the day, the fog around there will not camouflage them very effectively..."

"Yeah, it's mainly rock in that direction...not many prime hunting grounds." Cami thought, "they never steal any sheep or yaks, so their main diet must be either vikings or fish."

"Okay, this is fun, but I'm gonna head over to the Hall. Ruff, if you want, you can join me." Said girl punched him in the face before turning back to her brother and running off. Snotlout headed away as Cami turned to Fishlegs.

"Wanna do some research?"

"Sure, on what?"

"Supposed Night Fury sightings."

* * *

The Mead Hall was empty of almost all people by now, but the two vikings were still awake and staring down at piles of scrolls of "unidentified dragon sightings". Most scrolls were older than they were and full of now recognized dragons, none of them matching the description of the Night Fury. Eyes weary of reading, Fishlegs stood up and went up to the board he had pulled out, holding the white chalky rock he had sharpened and made adjustments to his notes. "Okay, a lot of these dragons were identified later...juvenile flightmares...a few adolescent Skrills..."

"I know...nothing else but dragons seen in storms or blizzards and then later identified."

"There's gotta be something we're missing. Something that gives us a clue." She sat there, thinking hard. She stared at the blank page with "Night Fury" written across the top and a cryptic warning of this dragon. How did Borg, the writer of this book, find a Night Fury and survive?

What place was he in when this-then it hit her.

"Fishlegs!"

"What?!" He spun around.

"There's one thing I never thought about. The raids." She pulled out a map of the archipelagoes, laid it on the table, and circled the Meatheads tribe, the Bog Burglars, and the Hooligans.

"What about the raids?" He came over to her and looked.

"They always come and leave from one direction. Sure, dragons break off, but the bulk of them always go in the same direction each time." She circled the west of all their tribes and saw it was always towards Helheim's Gate. "But the Night Fury was at Thor's Rock when you saw it and head north when I saw it. And the Meatheads-"

"North of their island."

"So, whoever the dragon rider is...he was headed..." She traced the lines to the North where the glacial masses where. "It was probably somewhere there." Fishlegs stared in amazement. The glacial peaks were weeks from here, but the Night Fury could make it easily.

"...Cami, are you sure?"

"Where would you look for the rarest dragon known to man?"

"...The one place most you wouldn't expect."

"Ever been ice fishin', Fish?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Before you read, I'd like to thank acw28 for their ideas about this chapter. They gave me the idea of making Val so stressed that she forgot Astrid was there.**

* * *

Lost to the Scrolls

Cloudjumper had been able to steal a moment to himself for the first time in a while. The cool waters swirled in the large lake before him, the alpha resting in his signature place. They sat in companionable silence, the occasional chirp of a Terrible Terror disturbing the quiet if only for a moment. The large Stormcutter lay with his top wings resting against his back and his bottom wings supporting his massive form, eyes closed in complete relaxation.

A sudden wait climbed on his back, unexpected but not unfamiliar. The dragon turned his head to am almost ninety degree angle and looked at Hiccup with a tiredly amused expression. The human child had been his responsibility ever since he brought him here as a babe with his mother. He had been there when Hiccup had taken his first steps, helped him eat his first morsels of solid food, and had been there to help soothe his nightmares. He neglected finding his own mate and having his own hatchlings to dedicate to caring for this hatchling and never regretted his choice. Valka was his closest friend, practically his sister, and Toothless was just as much his son as was Hiccup. He always had time for them, no matter how tired he was.

Hiccup smiled up at him and nuzzled his cheek against the dragon's nose, purring. Cloudjumper blinked, taking instant notice of his change in hormones. It was a telltale sign that he was holding something back, but what? _"Son in Heart speak tell yes sad no yes?"_

 _"No sad no...confused...sad...maybe..."_

 _"Why sad why?"_ Hiccup huffed and snuggled into Cloudjumper's head, an act similar to a youngling that was sad about something it had done.

 _"Confused yes...who is father not Cloudjumper father?"_

 _"...Explain yes?"_

 _"Who is human father?"_ Cloudjumper's facial fins raised in alarm and confusion. Hiccup almost never asked about Valka's human mate. He had stopped when he was twelve, deciding that his mother's happiness was more important than his own knowledge. Cloudjumper did not like remembering him, for he felt as though he was too dangerous to be around his hatchling. So when Hiccup had moved on to other things, Cloudjumper was relieved to see an end to his inquiries. But why was he asking now?

 _"...Not good father no yes maybe? Son in Heart angry yes no?"_

 _"No no no no! No angry no! Good father Cloudjumper best father Cloudjumper yes yes! Love happy love Cloudjumper family love!"_ Hiccup's frantic tone said more than his words and Cloudjumper began to understand why he was feeling so guilty. He viewed him as not just his adoptive father but like his actual father. But, he was a human and Cloudjumper was a dragon. He wanted to know who had sired him and held Valka's love strong enough to have a son by her. Cloudjumper could understand the curiosity. Many hatchlings who had been raised by only a mother felt the same thing, even if their also raised by an adoptive father. But Hiccup had been close to him and feared that asking him about his father would hurt worse than the bite of a Changewing.

Cloudjumper breathed on him, took the hem of his tunic, and placed him on the ground. Scooping him into his lower wings, Cloudjumper rumbled. _"...Dark night scary night...blood blood dragon blood viking screams bad bad no good bad night dark...searching no find searching friend find dead sad angry scared attack attack hear hatching find son in heart find scared cold confused sad sad shriek comfort happy calm good scary night bad happy son in heart good happy safe calm. Sister in Heart come see scared frightened confused sees no scared no frightened happy good safe good friend now friend...viking father come angry bad attack bad scare grab Sister in Heart grab Son in Heart run fly get away come home safe..."_ Hiccup listened intently, soaking up the first tidbit of information he had gotten in years of his birthplace. _"Viking father hair like hatchling Fire Skin eyes like grass big vikings scary brave angry loud. Viking home close to bad nest bad queen."_ Hiccup furrowed his eyes brows in contemplation.

The bad nest would most likely attack that viking village the most, since the Dragon Queen loved to snack on things. That means his father probably lives in that village. But who could it be? He held onto Cloudjumper for a little while longer. _"Confused sad scared go to vikings save vikings save dragons vikings no dragons no vikings..."_

 ** _"HUMAN CHILD."_** The alpha's voice immediately got the two's attention as the massive dragon turned his piercingly gentle gaze onto them. He must have been listening in, as usual, to gauge the situation and deemed it worthy of his input. **_"JUMPS THROUGH CLOUDS. FATHER?"_**

" _Yes yes father yes!"_

 ** _"FATHER. ALWAYS. BUT...OTHER FAMILY. NOT SAFE. MUST SAVE."_** Hiccup and Cloudjumper stared up at the giant in stunned silence. He was worried about Hiccup's...other family? Did he mean his viking family, the ones he had never met? Hiccup blinked.

 _"Confused."_

 _"Yes confused yes not safe no Rides the Night not safe..."_ The Bewilderbeast grunted, silencing Cloudjumper's protests.

 ** _"BEST WARRIOR. SAVE VIKINGS. SAVE DRAGONS. GO."_** That was it. That was his decree. Hiccup was to go with Astrid and save her village. **_"MUST STOP BAD QUEEN."_**

* * *

"Sky Eyes! Sky Eyes!" Astrid looked back to see Hiccup running up with Toothless at his heels, scaling boulders and ledges with ease as he climbed up to what she called Nadder's Peak. She had taken to naming the different areas in the nest since the Dragon Tongue terms were too hard for her to speak. Valka and Cloudjumper lived in Valka's Cave. The hole that Hiccup and Toothless slept within was Hiccup's Den. Then there was Nadder's Peak, Gronkle Rocks, Nightmare's Edge, Zippleback Ledge, and Terror Tunnels. The Alpha's Lake was her favorite resting spot.

Anyway, the blonde viking had been busy scratching Stormfly's scales with her fingers, helping the nadder by removing older scales and revealing new ones. She welcomed Hiccup with a chirp alongside the girl as he landed next to her. He hugged her quickly before clicking and growling at Stormfly. Said dragon grunted before standing up, nuzzling Astrid, and taking off. "Hey! What did you say?"

"I need to speak to you." His serious look got her attention as he sighed, "talked to Cloudjumper...told me about my...father..."

"Seriously?!" She stared with an open jaw, "Hiccup, that's...that's great! What did he say?"

"...Very hard to understand, spoke quietly...said it was...during a raid...he was looking for...a friend...but his friend was...killed...he was angry...he attacked...he broke into a home...and found me as hatchling...I was crying...I was scared...he comforted me...Mum came and...they became friends...but my father...attacked Cloudjumper...and Cloudjumper grabbed us and flew here..." Something within Astrid stirred, as if the story was familiar...of course, lots of children and women were carried off by dragons, supposedly to never be seen again...but it was a rare thing for a woman and her child to be carried off before her husband could get there. She stared at Hiccup a bit longer, taking in his brownish red hair and vibrant green eyes, traits common amongst vikings. But he wasn't like other vikings, that's why she loved him. He walked with a slight crouch, enough to be almost animalistic. He preferred to speak Dragon Tongue more than Norse, he loved to eat raw fish and nuts, and fought with small gloves equipped with discarded Night Fury claws. He slept like a dragon, acted like a dragon, and thought like a dragon. The boy seemed more beast than human and yet, Astrid could've sworn he looked familiar. She had to admit. It was almost eerie.

"...That narrows it down a lot though...Not many viking men have lost their families all at once like that..."

"There is more...Alpha has made his choice...I am...to go with you...and train vikings." She yelped, making him jump, and tackled him in a tight hug.

"That's amazing! I can't believe it! You'll see, Hiccup, this will work! It'll be hard, but we can do this!" Hiccup gave her an slightly less enthusiastic groan before nodding.

"We will leave soon, but must tell Mum." That absentmindedly spoken sentence made both their bloods run cold when they realized that they were going to have to tell Valka that her son was leaving with Astrid to a viking village..."You tell!"

"NO WAY!"

* * *

This was it.

This was the day.

This was the day both Hiccup and Astrid were going to die.

The pair were currently hiding on Zippleback Ledge, behind Barf and Belch, as Valka stormed the nest searching for her frightened son and his equally scared mate. "Does she always get like this?"

"Only when very worried."

"Wow, what a doting mother," Astrid grumbled, moving one of the Zippleback's tails away from her face. Barf and Belch kept staring at them inquisitively, asking in garbled sentences why they were behind them like that. Being both male and female, Barf and Belch's voice sounded different. Barf's voice was slightly higher and tended to chirp more. Belch's voice was rougher and deeper. So, it was like two people speaking at once and Hiccup often got a headache talking to them, not that he talked to them any less.

 _"Human girl **human girl**_ _here why **here now why** confused **happy** good **meet** love **good yes nice!**_" The two heads glared at each other.

 _ **"No copy!"**_ Belch snipped at Barf and that set the female head off.

 _"NO TALK I TALK YOU NO!"_ She snapped back, nicking him in the cheek. The two began the often sight of Zippleback sibling (?) arguing, which constituted of the two heads roaring and growling at each other. Hiccup and Astrid stared up at them, with a mixture of amused and annoyed. If the fighting went on too long, the Alpha would break it up. As they were distracted, an enraged voice growled behind them.

"Found ye two muttonheads!" The pair spun and yelped in surprise as Valka stood above them, clad in her armor with a legit pissed look on her face as she bared down at them. Hiccup gulped as Astrid tried to speak up. Before she could, they were dragged back to Valka's Cave, "and what did ye mean by yer goin' to Berk?!"

"Look, Valka, the situation with the dragons has gotten worse these years than in the past three hundred. Okay, so you two are right, dragons can be amazing and incredible allies if we know how to work with them. But to do that, we need to teach the others about them. So, who better than you and Hiccup?"

"Not a chance, lass!"

"Why not? Why not try and stop this war and protect this nest? Look, what if someone stumbled onto this nest and realized what it was? They'd send vikings from every village here and then it'd really be in danger!"

"I've resorted to drastic measures before and I'll do it again."

"But why!? Why not save countless lives on both sides and help end this war?"

"Because just because ye teach vikings about dragons doesn't mean that nest won't keep attackin'! And what makes ye think yer villagers won't turn their backs on dragons once they see that?"

"We can teach them. Teach them about dragons, then they will fight...we will take down the bad queen." There was a deep silence about that. Astrid had not mentioned something like that since that meant Hiccup would need to lead them to the nest.

"Hiccup!"

"We teach them to fight. We stop war. We take down bad queen."

"Hiccup, that is not our nest and I will not have ye-"

"Alpha's orders. He has ordered this stopped. I agreed. We will go to Berk."

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III!" Astrid stared in stunned silence. Haddock? That was Hiccup's last name...but then that meant...Astrid's eyes grew wide as she was completely forgotten. "ARE YE OUT OF YER MIND, BOY?! BERK!? OF ALL PLACES, YER GOIN' TO BERK!? THEY HATE DRAGONS MORE THAN ANYTHIN'! DID YE FORGET WHAT I TOLD YE ALL THESE YEARS!? THEY BUILT THEIR CULTURE AROUND DRAGON KILLIN'! THE MINUTE YE AND TOOTHLESS STEP CLAW ON THAT PLACE, THEY'LL RUN YE THROUGH!" He snorted.

"Faster than vikings."

"DON'T YE START THAT WITH ME, YOUNGLING! ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

"No is not okay. Alpha has already said."

"...I get that, but-"

"Cloudjumper knows. Does not like, but cannot stop."

"...Hiccup, I'm beggin' ye...if I lost ye...I'd have no one..." Hiccup's expression softened and he hugged his mother tightly.

 _"Love mother best mother love love always yes?"_ She sighed but groaned.

 _"Yes love yes son best son good son good...go on...careful, yes?"_

 _"Always careful!"_ She snorted, as Astrid coughed a bit. That garnered Valka's attention and when she realized what she had said, her face turned as white as a sheet. Her eyes widened and she felt her strength leave her as Astrid's stare burnt into her.

"...Haddock..."

"...Aye..."

"Your last name is HADDOCK!?"

"...Aye, that it is."

"...I do not understand...what is a last name?" He was ignored as Astrid grew angrier.

"You mean to tell me that you're Valka _HADDOCK_!? As in, wife of _STOICK THE VAST!?_ "

"...That's...alright...aye, I am..." The only male currently in the room looked around as the two most important women in his life began a battle.

"I cannot believe this! You were supposed to be dead! _Hiccup_ was supposed to be _dead_! You mean to tell me that you've been hiding out here for the last...eighteen years?!"

"It's a tad bit more complicated than that, lass."

"Oh really!? HOW!" Her shout caused a lot of dragons to stare up at the cave and then shudder. It seems that Hiccup's mate was just as scary as his mother when she was mad. All Hiccup could think was why did he feel the need to surround himself with frightening women? Astrid turned to Hiccup, "I just figured out who your father is!"

"Really?!"

"ASTRID!"

"He's my chief!" Hiccup tilted his head, "a chief is like a human alpha."

"My father is an alpha?" Valka glared at her before sighing.

"...Hiccup...yes, yer father is a human alpha...he lives in Astrid's village and he's been fightin' dragons longer than ye've been flyin' them...I...was different, son...while everyone was tryin' heir hardest to kill everythin' that had scales and flew, I cried for peace. It was a pretty unpopular opinion...then, one night, a dragon broke into the cottage we lived in and I ran in their to protect ye. But, once I saw...that he was playin' with ye, practically fawnin' over ye...I saw that everythin' I believed was right." Valka's face took on the look of one who was reminiscing on a good memory. "I looked at him and saw my own soul...an intelligence just like mine...but then yer father ran in and tried to kill Cloudjumper, thought he was attackin' us. Cloudjumper panicked and took us here, tryin' to protect us both..." She looked at her son, who was strangely quiet. "I wanted to go back home, Hiccup...wanted to make my way back to yer father...but one day, I woke up to see a Fire Skin crouched over yer crib, keepin' ye warm and safe. It was then that I saw that this nest...had more love in it than any village. There I was neglected and mocked and here...I was loved and valued. Ye were loved beyond belief when back on Berk, ye were mocked for being a...a hiccup..."

"But...I am Hiccup..."

"No, hiccup is the viking word for 'runt'. It's tradition to name the smallest baby in the village 'Hiccup'..." Suddenly, Astrid could see why Valka felt the need to keep herself and Hiccup away. Sure, she loved Berk...but it was true that it was like a constant competition to be a part of the village. The best viking, the smartest viking, the largest viking...and Hiccup had told her that he was quite small when he was young. He'd have been mocked and ridiculed for being the chief's son and yet so small. "Ye were sickly and came early into this world...at Berk, they'd have destroyed ye but here...ye flourished...I couldn't...I had to..." Hiccup gave her another hug. She broke down in tears, years and years of repressed regret coming out. Astrid decided to hug her as well and they let the older woman cry on their shoulders.

"Mama..." Hiccup's voice soothed her. She looked at her son with watery eyes, "...it's time to leave nest, Mama." At that, Valka began to cry again, shuddering at the thought of her son amongst vikings, the ones whom had tormented her for years.

* * *

Hiccup was packing light, as usual. Once he told Toothless what they were doing, he was met with similar concerns as his mother. Of course, Toothless knew that the alpha's word was law and that they were given this assignment because he thought that they could do it. Toothless vowed that he would not let any harm come to him, Stormfly, Astrid, or himself. Hiccup tried to be optimistic and say that Astrid would make sure it would go smoothly. Hiccup's mind raced as he went over the information in his head. His father was a viking alpha named Stoick the Vast? He ruled over Sky-Eyes' village? And Cloudjumper really did take them away. He couldn't be mad at the dragon, though, he was worried about them being in danger and he did everything in his power to be the replacement for a father in his life. But that meant that his father...his viking family was much closer to him than he thought. All these years of asking...and he was only a few weeks flight away.

If they fly leisurely.

Footsteps alerted him to someone's approach and he turned to see his mother walking up. She had cried all night and held onto him as she slept. He hadn't had the heart to push her off, he had basically told her that her baby was leaving when just that morning she had awoken to everything being right in the world. Her eyes were red and her cheeks and nose were puffy. She walked like she had aged forty years in one day and clutched a bag in her arm like it was her lifeline. They stared at each other in silence. "I will come back. This is my home." She smiled.

"Aye...I know ye will...still hard for a mother to see her baby boy leavin' like this..." There was a long pause, "she's a beautiful girl, eh? That Astrid...strong, loyal...and smart as a whip." He grinned.

"Is beautiful...is smart...is my moon and Toothless my night...you are my stars. Cloudjumper is my wind..." She smiled at the less common saying. It was said to those whom a dragon held deep within their hearts, usually family. She liked to hear it and the words from her son soothed her better than any jug of mead ever could. He hugged her tightly, "not angry, Mum...you acted...like any mother would..." She held him back tightly before pulling away.

"Don't ye worry over me, boy...it's hard on every mother when her wee babe leaves the home...but it's time ye struck out on yer own and took care of yerself. Ye already got the girl, now ye just need to make a name for yerself..." She opened the bag and pulled out two things. Hiccup's eyes widened when he caught sight of the stitched up rag doll version of a strange dragon. It looked more similar to her armor when she wore her mask, being a dirty dark blue with black buttons for eyes and various blue clothe spikes. It had four legs and no wings.

"I forgot all about this," he said gingerly taking the toy. He didn't even remember the name he gave the one toy that had been his favorite in his youth. He smiled when he held it to his face and caught the musky scent of childhood embedded within the clothe.

"Aye, I put it up one day but ye forgot all about it as soon as Toothless began flyin'. Kept it all these years...I want ye to take these," Hiccup took notice of the next item she held, a worn old brown blanket made of yak fur and skin with what looked like a swirling Monstrous Nightmare symbol on it. He took the blanket, not registering what it was but he could feel the early memories it held for him. Perhaps this was his baby blanket? "This was yer blanket...he got it specially made for ye...kept ye and yer brother warm all the months we were first here. Take it with ye," Hiccup smiled at her.

"Thank you, Mum...For everything you do." Valka gave him a tight hug.

"Now, while yer gone, listen to Astrid, she knows more about vikings than I can tell you right now. Do not bite anyone, that's the biggest rule. Oh, and don't let the dragons land on any sacred grounds, that would be bad. Am I understood?"

"Aye," Hiccup nodded alongside Toothless when they heard a resounding squawk. Stormfly landed and Astrid hopped off, her meager possessions strapped to her own bag. Valka had given her an old handmade wool blanket and a yak fur cloak for more comfortable riding. A "wedding gift" she had called it, much to Astrid's embarrassment. It wasn't like she could deny it, he sees her as his mate. She'd soon enough be his wife by viking standards too. She approached the two slowly, knowing the feral boy and his almost just as feral mother would need time to say goodbye.

"Ready?" Hiccup chittered at his mom, garnering a nod. Valka looked to Astrid and smiled.

"Astrid, he's in yer hands. Don't let Stoick kill him and don't let him kill Stoick. They're both too stubborn for their own good." Hiccup made a whining sound, disagreeing with the comment about his willingness to cooperate, but the girls just laughed at him.

"Look, Valka, I'm sorry I-"

"No, no. It was needed. I couldn't keep him in the dark his whole life and...one day he was bound to go for a flight and not return...at least this way, I know where he's goin'. Just promise me the four of ye will be alright."

"Of course...we'll be fine." She looked at Stormfly and Toothless.

 _"All safe yes yes maybe? Promise safe good nice good safe."_

 _"Good safe safe yes!"_ Stormfly shrieked, nudging Valka in the chest.

 _"Safe promise yes Mother in Heart. Love mother best mother good mother safe promise."_ Toothless sat on his hind legs and put his head on her shoulder, a draconic form of a hug.

"Alright...I'll see ye all off then." Astrid also gave her a hug before the trio got on their dragons. As Valka flew beside her son and his mate, she drowned out the excited chatter from Hiccup as he bombarded Astrid with questions about everyday life in Berk. Her thoughts drifted back to that morning when she had sent Hiccup to gather his breakfast and he returned instead with a girl and an empty stomach, but a heart filled with excitement. She had thought that he looked like a hatchling that was leaving the nest to claw out a life out of the ice block they all lived in. She had thought it would be soon. But, to be that quick...that was the shock. She had thought that she'd have time to come to terms with it, that one day she'd travel alongside him before finally landing and having to watch him disappear into the clouds and not return until he had a family of his own. But no, that day had not been a harbinger, it was a catalyst. He flew off that day, arms empty and awaiting the weight of potential and returned with a blonde viking beauty in his arms. A blonde girl who was harmed and in need of him more than she, whom captured his heart as soon as she opened her sweet sky blue eyes. He had fallen in love and won her heart with his unique outlook on the world, showing her the aerial view of reality. He had shown her the true nature of dragons and a special few of their many secrets. He had given her his night and day, taught her the language of his soul, and gone to their alpha on the account of her people.

And now here they were, standing on the edge of the beach with a large group of dragons surrounding them in an overwhelming show of sorrow that their favorite family members were leaving along with the newest member that they had just gotten to meet. Cloudjumper nuzzled Toothless and Hiccup in a fatherly way and, in a surprise twist, Astrid also received his paternal fawning. Valka grinned, "guess he finally decided ye were his daughter in law. Is yer father really protective over ye, Astrid?" Astrid gave her a smile.

"Yup, he's chased Snotlout off more than I have."

"Well, imagine that and times it by thirty." Astrid laughed at that and turned to Cloudjumper, who gave her a sad croon as if he wished he had spent more time with her.

 _"Come back yes no maybe?"_ Cloudjumper's owlish eyes sparkled.

 _"Come home soon yes, beloved Daughter in Heart yes."_

 _"Yes goodbye love yes Father in Heart."_ Hiccup's heart leapt to see his mate and his adoptive father getting along so well. To know his family here had strong bonds within it was a big relief, especially if he were to fall back on them emotionally. He chirped happily and Astrid looked at him, "ready to go?"

"Yes! We must go, it will be dark soon. Will be good flying."

"Stormfly, you think you can fly through the night like that?" The indignant squawk made Astrid quickly relient, "okay, okay. I get it, you're a warrior." Hiccup snickered and looked back at his mom, who watched him sadly before nodding.

"Be careful, ye two." With a silent nod, Hiccup pulled on his mask and clicked twice, telling Toothless to take off. Toothless gave Valka a farewell roar before blasting straight up into the sky. Stormfly followed and took into the cloudy sky with a shriek and a whoop from her own rider.

Valka stood with the other dragons on the beach, watching until the figures disappeared fully and then for a few minutes more before returning to enter into the nest. Each step felt heavier and lonelier, but at the same time she felt hope. Perhaps Hiccup was more special than she thought. Perhaps he could bring about change, unlike her. PErhaps he would succeed where she had failed.

* * *

 **It's come to my attention that some of my readers are getting a bit confused by the way dragons speak. Totally okay, I guess I can see why. I wanted to create something that was different from human languages, yet had a distinct similarity to them. So I decided to do a few things.**

 **1\. Grammar**

 **By now, you might have noticed that dragons do not really use words that connect the sentence structure together. For example, instead of Toothless saying "I want the pink fish that Cloudjumper has" he would say "Fish Cloudjumper fish want fish!" To explain, dragons don't usually use the term "I" or "me" or "my", though they can. Call it a culture thing, they prefer to make their sentences about the subject they're talking about. In that sentence, Toothless is talking about a FISH, who's FISH it belongs to, and who wants the FISH. Another example is if Stormfly were to say "Bad storm bad soon come bad yes no maybe?" She is actually referring to a storm that might be approaching. The best way to remember dragon grammar is that the sentence usually starts with the subject (which is usually what they are talking about or who they are talking to). Then it goes to what the subject is or who it belongs to. Then finally, it is what happened to the subject, what will happen to the subject, or who wants the subject.**

 **2\. Wording**

 **Obviously, like any foreign language, there's a difference in wording. If you remember (and I'll be surprised if you do, because sometimes I don't), Hiccup tried to explain why the Alpha has no name. He said he did not know the word for it, but the alpha had lived too long and knew way too much. He meant to say that the Alpha was ancient and wise, so he had surpassed the confines of his own name to be something...well, omnipresent. So dragons usually name things and each other using characteristics and personality traits. Instead of Deadly Nadders, they're Spikey Tails. Instead of Rumblehorns, they're Horn Noses. Instead of Skrills...you get the idea.**

 **3\. Questions**

 **Dragons are not above asking questions. They simply ask a bit differently than humans do. Astrid would say "Hiccup, are you okay?" Toothless would say "Brother in Heart safe yes no maybe?" The word "safe" means that they are not only not in physical harm, but mental and emotional as well. If Toothless wanted to now if Hiccup was physically harmed, he would say hurt. The whole "yes no maybe" means Hiccup can either say he's fine ("Yes safe yes"), he's not fine ("no safe no!"), or he's not sure ("maybe safe maybe"). If a dragon says "yes yes" or "no no", that means they phrased it as a question, but they already know the answer or it's a demand. So, the whole use of yes and no constantly is usually a way of forming a question. It's also a way of confirming something, like if Cloudjumper said "Yes Sister in heart Hiccup safe yes no harm no good yes." That's him saying "Don't worry, Valka, Hiccup is okay and everything is good."**

 **4\. The Alpha**

 **The Alpha is basically the oldest dragon in the nest. In fact, no one really knows how old he really is, so his way of speaking is much different yet easier to understand. First, he'll announce who he is speaking with. Then, he will give them a question or a command. Sometimes, he can't form it in one sentence and risk confusing his subject(s), so he'll space them between sentences. The alpha's commands are very firm and precise, leaving no room for confusion. The fact that his sentences are usually italicized and bolded is because his voice is not just heard, but felt. So, really the Alpha has no need to be explained much since his sentences are by far much easier to not only read, but to write as well.**


	10. Chapter 10

Of Vikings and Dragons

As the boat rocked to and fro on the cool salty waters of the sea, Camicazi stared out to the horizon. It was as blue as her own eyes and stretched across the entirety of Midgard like a dream. She had managed to snag a longboat and had recruited Snotlout and the twins along with her and Fishlegs. After revealing their initial hypothesis, the other vikings had jumped at the chance to race to Loki's Lair, where the fabled Glacier Island floated amongst the icy masses. It was promised to be an amazing adventure, with the added bonus of finding the Dragon Rider and his Night Fury. The boat was going slowly, but surely and Camicazi knew they were on the right track, she could feel it.

"This is boring! When are we gonna get there?" They all groaned in mental agony at the sound of Snotlout's complaints. It had been an entire week and they had been subject to Snotlout's complaints every day for at least a couple hours at a time. At first, Camicazi remedied it by punching him in the face and knocking him out. Then, Ruffnut tried kicking him in the crown jewels and rendering him unconscious through pain. Then, Tuffnut would try pushing him overboard and, mostly, succeeding. Finally, to everyone's surprise, Fishlegs took it upon himself to choke him until he blacked out from lack of oxygen. Unfortunately, by the fourth day, they realized that they made more time if Snotlout was awake and complaining while rowing than when he was slumped over on his seat or struggling to get back on the boat.

So, they opted for ignoring him for the most part.

"I don't know why we didn't just take one of the other boats instead of this one... Like one with a sail!"

"Of course we couldn't, idiot!" Ruffnut grunted as she helped her brother push the oar forward and back, "we didn't exactly get permission to go on this trip."

"What'd ya mean?"

"Because my mom and your uncle would never risk our lives by sending us on a hunt this dangerous. Hel, they'd tie us both to masts."

"I dunno mind...as long as I share a mast with you." The collective groan told Snotlout that no one had enjoyed his pick up line, especially the one who it was intended for. Camicazi rubbed her temples, irritated.

"We just got to Breakneck Bog, Loki's Lair should be just on the other side. It'll take us a week to get there, so just shut up."

"Man, we're gonna row all that way?!"

"Og gods, we'll get there in three days if we row night and days. We'll stop for breaks and then after, we'll come across one of my tribe's islands. We can rest there for a night, restock our supplies, then be gone by the next afternoon. After that, straight shot to Glacier Island and we'll be there!" Cami's voice roared alongside the waves as Snotlout began to realize that perhaps the girl heir was just as exhausted as the rest of them. They had stopped only for a few hour long breaks that included meals and naps, before everyone started to row all over again. "We get there, we track down the Dragon Rider, and bring him back to Berk for his crimes."

Snotlout's face lit up as he imagined himself gloriously facing off against a hideous and grotesque villain with his fearsome Night Fury dead at Snotlout's feet. It was a fight that would make him the Viking to all Vikings. "Awesome! I call fighting him in the arena!"

"No way," Ruffnut spoke up angrily, "I wanna fight him!"

"Yeah and I wanna fight her while she fights him!"

"Idiot, we'll tag team him."

"Oh...Then we wanna fight him!"

"Morons, you'll back me up, then."

"Alright cool. We'll all fight him."

"No no no!" Camicazi sighed, "we'll bring him back and then our chiefs will decide if someone gets to fight him or if he'll be executed immediately."

"No fair!" Camicazi groaned.

"Guys, we don't just have an opportunity to catch the Dragon Rider," Fishlegs piped up as he rowed alongside Snotlout. The tougher Viking rolled his eyes as he looked at his partner. "We're going to see a Night Fury, probably closer than any one of our families have. We'll go down in history if we bring it down and its rider. Not only that, the Rider might even be able to lead us to the nest. We'll be legends."

"Now, that's something I can get behind! Come on, get moving! My grandmother can row faster than you guys!" Snotlout's challenge got them much more excited and Cami turned back to the horizon. She knew they were close and the Dragon Rider had better be ready when she got there.

He was going to take a nice trip with them.

* * *

Astrid had been flying with Hiccup before, but she was not prepared for how he handled long distance flights with others. As they soared through the skies, the feral boy filled the air with his excited chattering and clicking, looking this way and that. He was speaking way too fast for her to completely grasp what he was saying, but Astrid got the words "fun", "happy", "clear" , "good", "nice", "smell", and what seemed to be dragon names. She didn't really understand, but was possible that he was picking up sounds that she couldn't detect from underwater. Toothless often joined his talkative brother and Stormfly often shrieked and clacked along, as Hiccup's good mood was infectious. She could relate, she had been almost the same way when she went on her first hunt for the nest.

"Hiccup!" She called over the wind. He turned around completely, allowing Toothless to fly unguided. She laughed when she caught sight of the overly excited grin on his face. "What are you saying?"

"Water Spitters below. Good jokes!"

"I'll take your word on that." He laughed, before patting Toothless on the head. Said dragon dipped and went into a free fall with Hiccup falling off his back as well. "HICCUP!" She watched in horror as the two plummeted before Toothless twisted around. Hiccup slid effortlessly back onto his neck and they leveled out, slicing the water with Toothless' talons. Her boyfriend looked up at them and chittered, a sort of dragon like chuckle. "Why that lousy, no good, munge bucket half troll..." She pat Stormfly on the neck and pointed down. "Get him girl."

Stormfly squawked and shot down like an arrow with Astrid holding on tightly to her horns. Hiccup yelped as Stormfly snatched him up in her talons, surprising Toothless, and flew back into the air.

 _"No no bad Sky Eyes no away no hold!"_

 _"Bad Rides the Night no scare!"_

Hiccup laughed as Toothless retrieved him again and then he was flying side by side with his mate. She punched him in the shoulder, "ow!"

"Don't do that! You scared the yak dung out of me!"

"...Yak...dung..." Hiccup seemed confused before he smiled, "can humans-"

"NO."

"Oh..." She decided she had to explain some things.

"Hiccup, listen. Where we're going, there's going to be a lot of...Vikings are going to say things that mean one thing, but mean a totally different thing." He stared at her in confusion. "Like, just now...when I said "you scared the yak dung out of me" that doesn't mean I can make yak dung...it means, you really scared me."

"Why not just say that?"

"Uhh...because...saying the same thing every time is boring."

"But saying something different is confusing."

"Listen, just work with me on this."

"Okay."

"So, when a viking says things that seem odd, they usually mean something else. Like...um...I feel like I was run over by a...tap dancing yak."

"Can yaks-"

"No, they cannot tap dance...see? Sounds weird, doesn't it?" He nodded.

"So, what they mean is that they don't feel good. Now, if someone says...you're twitching like a...honey covered yak on an ant hill." He gave her a weirded out look, "that one was from my friend Tuffnut and it's a long story. Anyway, if it sounds weird...usually they don't really mean it."

"...Vikings are weird."

"Hey, half of your family are vikings. I'm a viking."

"My family is weird. My mate is even weirder." That earned him a punch.

"You're the one who decided I was yours."

"It's a disease."

* * *

"Camicazi, you think we'll be able to pull over for a bit. My arms are more stiff than Gobber after he sees Big Bootied Belinda." Cami glared at Tuffnut for the mention of the blacksmith's obvious lusting after her tribe mate. She shuddered when she remembered when the two first met.

You can't unsee things like that.

But, he was right. They were already fast approaching the aforementioned island, a small hide away for the infamous Bog Burglars. It was uninhabited and covered in trees and stones, but there were no mountains and barely any dragons. It was a perfect resting spot for them. She might even let them stay a full day before they set off again. "Okay, there's the island. We'll dock there, set up camp, and stay until tomorrow night."

"I thought we were going to go at noon."

"Well, if you're in such a hurry to get back to rowing-"

"No, nevermind!" Fishlegs began to row faster, causing the others to have to pick up their own speed in order to keep up with them.

"Onwards, men! And Ruffnut...to victory!"

"I don't get it, I thought we were going to the island."

"Shut up and row!"

* * *

"Look! There's Breakneck Bog. We can rest at that island there, then we'll get moving." Hiccup looked down and was going to say that they could move a bit further, but then he caught sight of Stormfly. It was getting late and soon the female dragon would need sleep. They had been flying at a considerable speed for a good twelve hours, sleeping a few hours in between on sea stacks.

That was not a comfortable nesting ground.

"I will fly ahead and set up." With that, Toothless shot forward, progressively becoming more and more invisible as the sky became more and more dark. The gorgeously dark night became more and more prominent as he approached the island, as if it was permanently stationed in the night. Toothless crooned cautiously, his highly adapted eyes catching the tiny viking water craft on the shores of the island. His alert made Hiccup tense as he searched the beach as well, quickly spotting the small group of vikings that were creating a small base camp in the woods.

 _"Danger yes no maybe? Find new nesting place yes no."_

 _"No. Flies Through Storms tired yes must sleep yes. No run no."_ Hiccup nudged Toothless to the opposite end of the island, a good mile and a half away from the Vikings. Without the usage of hills or caves, they were left with the coverage of the trees to keep them hidden, but by day that cloak would be less than helpful. However, Hiccup knew that the mornings would be particularly foggy around here, so they would be hidden for a few more hours after sunrise. They landed in the woods and Toothless immediately clawed his way up a high tree, hiding within the thick leaves and branches with only his bright green eyes glowing in the dark. Hiccup hissed before dropping to the ground, hidden amongst the tall grass.

 _"No leave no safe no-"_

 _"Quiet yes yes! No roar stay safe stay!"_ After successfully hushing his brother, he couched in the grass and crawled his way through the woods, barely making a sound. The moon and stars began to shine brighter in the dark, glittering like snow thrown in the small creatures of this tiny island became more quiet as they recognized the presence of two higher level predators in their midst. His finely tuned ears picked up Stormfly's wings and screech, which would obviously cause a stir amongst the vikings.

But, Hiccup paid no heed to her or the fact that his mate might be looking for him. He was in hunting mode right now and that meant that he'd be more focused than any other time. His dark clothing and his dark hair blended him into the deep shadows, with his eyes glowing in the night. He hid in one of the bushes, crouched low, and stared ahead into the vikings' makeshift camp. There were five of them in all, of varying sizes. Two of whom were female (at least he thought one was a girl), and the rest were male.

Two of the vikings were fighting, physically, pulling each other's hair and punching their sibling's face or stomach. They were both blonde and wore helmets decorated in horns (what a strange Viking trait). They were thin and hunched over, and had a particularly strange smell about them. Their loud, unintelligent voices rang through the woods. "Give me that, it's my chicken!"

"Idiot, you ate yours! This one is mine!"

"Shut up! Both o you," that order came from another blonde viking, who looked similar to his mate. For a moment, Hiccup thought it was Sky-Eyes, but the style of clothing was much too different. Her blonde hair was also darker and more...untamed. Her bright blue eyes were more like the sea, not like his sky. And her clothing were of that of the viking village that had mainly women...Hiccup blinked. He remembered her, she was there when he had found Lights the Sky and ordered him back to the Bewilderbeast's nest.

The viking next to her was the shortest in the group, but that did not mean that he was the weakest. His muscles bulged and he sported the makings of a beard. Hiccup absentmindedly stroked his own chin, which was also beginning to grow fur as well. Toothless would have a fit unless he got rid of it, so he would have to remember to groom himself again. But, this viking obviously had no thoughts about grooming as he flaunted his masculinity to the two females. His dark hair and brown eyes glowered at the other two males haughtily, like a Monstrous Nightmare who had staked his claim on every female within a fifteen mile radius. He growled quietly, the thought of this viking being near his mate set him on edge.

And the last viking was by far the largest, but Hiccup could feel no danger from him. He was big and wide like a titan wing Gronckle and he had short, choppy blonde hair. His pudgy face and big nose gave him an almost...sweet appearance, for lack of a better word. He sat on a log, farther from the group, munching on a mutton leg while staring at one of those strange things that his mother said were called books. Hiccup could read very well, but he preferred to work with his hands and go flying than sit about and read. The only time he really read a lot was when there was a horrific storm that even Stormfly couldn't get through and they were all confined to the nest. That was a few years ago.

But, Hiccup could appreciate a good book and was not against translating them for Toothless, though he found them much less enjoyable and preferred to wrestle.

Anyway, he sat in his hiding spot, listening closely. The girl, whom he dubbed Sea-Eyes, finally spoke up, silencing the bickering twins and the haughty viking male. "Alright, we'll rest here for the night and then we'll keep going tomorrow afternoon. Fishlegs, any info on any dragons we might see?"

"Aside from the occasional Terrible Terror, the book of dragons doesn't mention any dragons that might find Breakneck Bog's surrounding islands." Hiccup would have snorted. Whatever that...dragon book said was wrong. He knew that there were dragons who haunted the foggy mists of this place, and how to avoid them.

"Then everyone's off duty for now. Snotlout, you go fish for us. Twins, you'll go get the firewood. Fish, we need to check out the map. Those clouds on the horizon are giving me the creeps. Might be more thunder than fog out here." Hiccup crouched lower as the two twins and the haughty viking went stomping through the brush. Sea-Eyes and Shaky and Large stayed behind, leaning over a piece of paper that Sea-Eyes kept in her pocket. Hiccup sniffed a bit and then his ears picked up a small rock shifting, a random at of the universe.

"What was that?" The two spun around in his direction, staring for a moment.

"Fish, it's probably from the twins running like madmen in there." Shaky and Large nodded nervously before returning to the map, speaking quietly with Sea-Eyes. Deciding that he couldn't learn much more than that, he fell back onto the balls of his feet, and slipped away.

* * *

Stormfly had run off to find better fishing spots and Toothless was hidden somewhere. It was strange that Hiccup was not waiting for her or had even gone to find her and take her to the campsite. She stood on the sandy beach, waiting for Stormfly to return. Normally, she'd simply find him and Toothless herself, but it was now dark and the two hid their best in the dark. Stormfly would be the only one able to sniff them out and, even then, it was only by pure luck that they'd be able to find them since both Hiccup and Toothless smelled like _"sky air sky night sky"_ apparently.

So, Astrid sat upon a rock on the beach, going through her packed bags to see if she had remembered to pack a fishing line. Sure, the dragons could fish their meals easily, but she wanted to show Hiccup how to fish with a line. It'd be a good way to connect him to the viking in him.

She was so focused on her task that she didn't hear the soft, crunching footsteps of someone approaching until it was nearly too late. With a startled scream, mixed with a battle cry, she was thrown to the ground and a heavy mass crushed her into the sand. "I gotcha, spy!" The voice registered for a moment and she felt both relief and irritation.

"Snotlout, what are you doing!?"

"...Astrid!?" Snotlout jumped off her and she stood up, brushing the sand off her leggings as she glared at the hefty viking. He stared at her as if she were a ghost and, in a way, she was. He had been told that she had disappeared mysteriously. That her crew were all found dead, murdered, off the coast of the Meatheads' tribe, and that her body was not found amongst them. There had been rumors that she had gone insane and killed everyone, disappearing into the sea, but those were quickly squashed. They had thought she had been kidnapped or taken prisoner, but no one had sent for a ransom. She had been gone and he had missed the girl he had been crushing on for so long and now, here she was.

Looking beautiful and healthy and safe. "ASTRID!" He lunged at her, wrapping her in his arms. "You're alive!"

"Ugh, let go!" She punched him in the stomach, wrenching herself from his arms. He fell to the ground, smile taking up most of his face.

"I never doubted you! Not once! You're okay, this is awesome!" He stood up, "where were you? Here? How did you even get here?"

"I didn't know you were here?! How are you here!?"

"You don't know? There's a weird guy riding dragons everywhere." Astrid's heart stopped for a moment.

Hiccup.

Oh, gods, they spotted him. How?! "A...A dragon...rider?"

"Yup, that's what we're calling him. But, I'll regal you with my thrilling epic adventure to bring this traitor to justice later. Where have you been? Everyone thinks you're dead, even your parents..."

"It's a long story, Snot..." He nodded as if understanding before clapping his hands.

"Well, come on! I'm supposed to get fish, but I'd better get you back to camp. After all, if it means I can sit next to you, I'd never eat again." Astrid rolled her eyes.

Great...more pick up lines.

She glanced behind her, Stormfly was still out hunting for fish. That was good, that meant they hadn't seen her fly in on an adult Deadly Nadder. That would be horrible to explain right away. A faint rustle in the bushes alerted her to Hiccup's watchful gaze, cloaked completely by darkness. She growled quietly, telling him to stay, and masking it with a cough when Snotlout looked at her in confusion. "Got a small cold."

"Well, let's get you back to camp. The twins should have brought back the fire wood by now."

"Wait, the twins are here?!"

"And Fishlegs and Camicazi. We all came to look for the Dragon Rider and once we find him, it's bye-bye dragons and hello dungeon!" She gulped. The mere thought of the hyperactive, freedom loving Hiccup trapped in a cell was...more than horrible. She shuddered a bit, somehow giving Snotlout the idea that she was cold and causing him to wrap his arm around her shoulders. Astrid glared and yanked his arm off her, not wanting to have to deal with him or incur Hiccup's own draconic wrath against her tribal mate. As they walked through the dark woods, Snotlout kept going on about how great it was that Astrid was okay and how they'd take her home just as soon as they investigate Loki's Lair, where they thought the Dragon Rider might be hiding.

Astrid blinked, her friends were much smarter than she thought. Above she spotted leaves rustling a bit here and there.

Hiccup was following them, probably to keep an eye on her. She just hoped that he didn't decide that good relations with vikings were not worth it and attacked Snotlout. Thank Thor she didn't find the time to explain pick up lines to him...in fact, she prayed that he never learned about them.

They approached the other side of the island within thirty minutes of walking, with the sound of the wind being constantly interrupted with Snotlout's expressions of praise to Thor, Odin, Freya, and even Loki for finding Astrid alive and well. Hiccup's continued pursuit remained as unnoticeable to Snotlout as a book was. He chattered on and on about how everyone would be so happy to see her and how she could help them find the dreaded Dragon Rider and then, all she'd need to do was sit back and watch him get her a Night Fury skull.

She shuddered a bit and even heard Hiccup snarl quietly.

Finally, they came to the other side of the island. There she saw the Twins, hitting each other with sticks, and Camicazi sitting next to Fishlegs near a fire with a map spread between them. "Hey guys, look who I found!" They glanced up and stared before screaming-

"ASTRID!" The gang ran up to her and stood incredibly close, as if they thought she would disappear again if they didn't. Fishlegs and the Twins she expected, Camicazi was a bit of a surprise. The Bog Burglar and her were good friends, who enjoyed sparring for hours when she visited. But that was very rare and only for a few days. The girl punched her in the shoulder, much more affectionate to them than a hug.

"We thought you were dead."

"Oh, I'm very much alive. I even got a scar on my stomach from when the boat was attacked."

"No way, you survived _and_ got a cool scar?" She might as well have told Tuffnut that she shook hands with Thor, joked around with Odin, and got to drink mead with Loki. "Man, you always get all the luck!"

"Whatever, idiot! What happened? Where were you!?"

"It's a pretty long story..."

"Did you have to fight dragons? Were you captured? Where did you go?" Fishlegs scooted closer. He was so into what she was saying. Astrid could understand a bit. If her uncle Finn came back from the dead, she'd be pretty impressed too. They herded her to the fire and she sat down, refusing the offered burnt fish. She glanced behind her and caught Hiccup sliding down from the tree and hiding behind it's trunk. He wouldn't wait for her long.

"Okay, so spill." Camicazi sat beside her. "What happened?"

"Well...I was sailing with the crew through Loki's Lair-"

"But the ship was found near the Meathead Tribe-"

"I'm getting to that, Fish! Anyway, we were sailing and just about to head in for the night when we were attacked. It was so fast, I don't remember much, but it wasn't a dragon. It was the Berserkers." Camicazi blinked.

"What? But...the entire archipelago has a treaty. Until we get rid of the dragons, we can't attack each other. Anyone who does faces the wrath of every tribe."

"Well, that didn't matter to Dagur. He just attacked us, no warning. I was knocked out for a long time, I don't know how I survived...but someone saved me..." Just as Fishlegs was going to ask who, a loud shriek sounded through the sky.

"Dragon!" Automatically, everyone ducked for their weapons as Stormfly landed with a thud on the beach, mouth full of fish. "Get it!" Cami sprung into action, her sword glinting in the moonlight. Stormfly squawked and her spines sprung out.

"Wait!" Astrid ran to Cami and jumped on her, narrowly missing the poisonous barbs.

"Astrid!"

"Hold on! Don't move! Nobody move!" The vikings froze, confused, as Astrid ran up to her now agitated dragon. "Easy, girl! Easy, they didn't mean it! You just startled them." Stormfly fanned her wings threateningly, obviously upset.

 _"Not safe bad bad blood smell bad viking no no no safe!"_

"You're okay, Stormfly! Calm down, girl, come on!" She opened her arms wide and Stormfly butt her massive head into them, crooning. "That's it, girl, you're totally okay. I won't let them hurt you, okay."

"Uhhh...Astrid...?" Cami brushed the sand off her leggings. "...You're hugging a dragon..." Astrid froze. She had hoped to approach this gently, but it seemed that she would need to let her friends in on her new secret. She turned around, Stormfly huffing at them as she deposited her fish and pushed Astrid towards them.

"I'll eat soon, Stormfly." She turned to her friends, "look, I said I was saved right? Well...it wasn't by just anyone...I woke up one day and I was...in this really weird room, more like a cave...and right above me was a Night Fury." The group stared at her. "Yeah, you heard me, the Dragon Rider rescued me from the boat. He and his dragon found the boat, checked everyone for pulses and found me. They took me to his nest and nursed me back to health. Then he taught me about dragons."

"You got dragon lessons from the Dragon Rider?!"

"You lived with dragons?!"

"You've been to the nest!?"

"Wait...you saw a Night Fury?!" Fishlegs couldn't guess if he was more excited about the dragon lessons or the night fury. They crowded around her, earning a sharp snarl from Stormfly, which made them all immediately back up and reach for their weapons.

"NO. No weapons. Look, guys, this is Stormfly. She's my dragon, I've been riding her for...a few months now, I guess...geez, how long has it been since I was last on Berk?"

"Well, you missed Snoggletog."

"Oh...well, I've been riding her for the last few months."

"Is she how you got here?"

"Well, yeah. We've been flying for about a week and we all decided to land here for a break."

"Anyway, you said you went to the nest? Well, where is it? We can finally put an end to this war!" Camicazi pushed for information.

"Did you have to fight off dragons? Did you see them ripping into vikings? Was it awesome!?" Tuffnut also wanted information, but not the same information.

"Wha-no! Look. I was really hurt, I couldn't even walk by myself, so the Dragon Rider nursed me to back to health. He was pretty...attentive to that point. Plus, I'm the only girl he's been around besides his mother." Astrid sighed. If she didn't keep them all calm, it would be a bloodbath. Stormfly was already edgy, not even taking one taste of her catch. The other vikings were edging towards their weapons already and she could see the shifts in the trees as Hiccup crept closer.

That just screamed bloodbath.

"...He took care of me and showed me how to train a dragon." That one sentence froze her friends as they stared at her in confusion and disbelief. Camicazi was the first to shake from her shock and spoke up.

"Astrid, that's crazy! Dragons are mindless, bloodthirsty, evil creatures from the deepest trenches of Hel. They can't be trained, befriended, or reasoned with." She shook her head.

"Not true, Cami. If it was, Stormfly would have bitten my head off the minute I turned my back." They glanced at the dragon behind her. "He taught me so much and I'm sure that there is more I don't know. I can tell a female Deadly Nadder from a male, I can tell a Gronckle's age, I have even seen medicine made from dried dragon scales. They're not dangerous...they're scared."

"Scared? Them? I'm sorry, I'm not the one with fiery breathe and giant wings!" Snotlout laughed but then Stormfly snarled at him to shut him up.

"Yeah, they're scared! We're not the only victims, guys. They've lost mates, young, parents, and friends. We've all lost things in this war, dragon and vikings..."

"Astrid, you're talking insane."

"Could she be joining our side?"

"Oh, Loki, yes!"

"NO. Listen. After learning about dragons, I realized that we can't go on like this. We'll all die if we don't learn to work together." They began to look around nervously. They had been fighting dragons for three hundred years with no end in sight. Each generation got harder and harder. What if she was right? What if they all die before they see the end of this battle?

"So? We find the nest and end it, just like vikings," Camicazi said, though her voice said that she didn't really have too much faith in it.

"And in the three hundred years that we've been searching for it, what makes you think we'll find it before we're all destroyed?" That was met with a silence, one that screamed that they weren't too sure of an answer. "Look. Dragons have the fire power, the strength, and the speed to defend their homes and their families. We can use that too. We can bond together and defeat her."

"...Wait...her? Who is her?" With that, something went thump and they spun around to see Hiccup crouched on the ground. He stood up tall and stared them all down, probably displeased with their reaction to Stormfly (but what did he expect?). Snotlout stared as the new mystery wild man stared at him with his uncle's green eyes. Ruffnut stared as well. Unlike Snotlout and a lot of the other boys she saw, this one was tall and lean with muscles. They weren't bulging, but they looked good enough to eat. Camicazi was staring at his chest more than his arms, and she couldn't help but agree with Ruffnut. Tuffnut thought this guy looked crazy and he wanted to be his best friend. Fishlegs was just wondering how long he had been there. "Okay! New question! Who is that guy!?" Snot lout pointed at Hiccup, who grinned.

"I am Hiccup. And "her" is the Dragon Queen."

* * *

 **You do not even know how hard it was to get this typed. With this computer being off limits to writing because it's acting wonky, I had to sneak around to get it typed (do NOT tell anyone) and my writer's block, it was pure Hell.**

 **Anyway, time for notes, I thought it would be a good idea to call the area where the Bewilderbeast's Sanctuary is, as well as Glacial Island, Loki's Lair based on the myth that Loki is not actually Asgardian, but a Jotun giant who was abandoned and raised by Odin. Thus, the whole icy thing. I don't know, my friend is much better on Norse mythology. I'm more for Chinese and Japanese mythology.**

 **And anyway, I am thinking of starting up another "what if" HTTYD story. This one I want to be a bit darker, with Hiccup being driven out at a young age from the village and being taken in by an adult Night Fury (preferably Toothless' mom or dad). It would be Hiccstrid eventually, but instead of Hiccup being completely smitten with her, he'd probably despise her for past offenses. I think the main things would be that Hiccup was raised with Night Furies and is happily living on the Isle of Night (I'm making THAT REAL, OKAY?!), but is:**

 **A) Found by Astrid and dragged back to Berk**

 **B) Found by Dagur and forced to be a personal killing machine bent on destroying Berk.**

 **C) Founded by Romans and taken (with Toothless) back to the Roman Empire to be a gladiator before escaping and somehow winding back up on Berk.**

 **F) Contracted into becoming an assassin (probably not)**

 **D) Founded by Drago Bludvist and taken to train the dragons before escaping and winding back up on Berk (it all goes back to Berk, huh?)**

 **I'll put up a poll soon, but the story probably won't come up until I finish this one.**


	11. Chapter 11

In all honesty, Astrid expected a lot more yelling and blood for when she introduced Hiccup. Of course, she expected to be on Berk and speaking to Stoick, but this was good practice anyway. Hiccup sat with her, though farther away from her friends. She could understand his...hesitation.

One, this was the largest group of vikings he had been around.

Two, their weapons were still in full view.

Of course, Hiccup had his clawed gloves and she had seen those cut through rocks that could break swords. But she had learned that dragons only attack offensively if you're a direct threat to their mate, family, or territory.

So, the fact that he did not find them an immediate threat was promising.

Snotlout, on the other hand, was a big concern. He had been glaring at her boyfriend for a full on hour since he revealed himself. She guessed it was because of Hiccup's lean towards open affection with her, wrapping his arms around her protectively from behind. It was his stance to say off-limits, especially since she introduced him to Snotlout. Camicazi was more concerned with the Nadder in the background, calmed down enough to munch on fish and constantly offering Astrid more fish. Fishlegs was also staring, studying the Nadder's more docile movements and documenting them in his journal. "So, okay. This is Hiccup, he's...well...he was raised with dragons."

"Wait, how is that possible?! They should have ripped you apart!" Fishlegs shut up once Hiccup glared, "...uhhhh..."

"No, dragons...are my family." He said, albeit choppily. "I...was raised by dragons...in the nest with mother." They stared before Tuffnut spoke up.

"Oh my Loki, it's the Dragon Rider! Dude, that is awesome!" He ran up to Hiccup, getting into his face. Hiccup snarled and backed up, breathing heavily. Astrid grabbed Tuffnut away, but the more dimwitted twin was too involved in getting close to the dragon raised boy to honestly notice. "Dude, where are your fangs!?"

"...My...what?"

"You're fangs, duh! You were raised by dragons, cursed by Odin, and now have to live your life as some sort of demonic...shapeshifting dragon viking monster who eats the souls of children and pregnant women." Hiccup and Astrid stared at Tuffnut before Hiccup spoke up.

"...What?"

"Tuffnut, I can tell you with absolute certainty that Hiccup is not...whatever you just said he is...he just acts like a dragon at times." He smiled at her, taking it as a compliment. Astrid was not sure she meant it as one, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him.

"So, you don't have fangs."

"No."

"Or breathe fire."

"No."

"Or ride a Night Fury." He thought for a moment, trying to remember what that term meant before he chirped happily, alerting Astrid that he had remembered.

"Oh! You mean...my brother...!" Finally, a topic that Hiccup could be interested in. He turned around and let out a loud shriek, one that made everyone but Astrid jump back in surprise from the nearly authentic dragon call. One that was very, very unfamiliar. He stared at the skies as the group slowly inched back towards them. Camicazi pulled Astrid back a bit.

"Okay, so...he's the Dragon Rider?"

"Yup. That's...that's him." She stared.

"I honestly thought that he'd be..." Hiccup was still watching the night sky. "Bigger."

"Don't be fooled. I've seen him take down Monstrous Nightmares with his bare hands."

"Seriously?!" Cami stared at him, "he's kinda hot." Astrid glared at her for a moment before there was a responding shriek from the trees that sounded like Hiccup's, except much more animalistic. Snotlout snatched up his hammer and Tuffnut dove for his mace and Ruffnut went for her sword, Fishlegs yelped and clutched his dagger.

"Oh gods..." Out of the trees shot Toothless, eyes glowing bright and black scales making him all but invisible in the shadows. He landed next to Hiccup and pushed him down, sniffing fervently as Hiccup laughed and struggled against his adoptive brother's large snout.

"Night Fury!"

"He's being attacked!"

"NO! STOP!" She dove between the pair and the rest of them as they all advanced towards him. Astrid sighed, "that's just Toothless. He was raised with Hiccup..." Hiccup chirped a bit and Toothless grunted in response before stepping back. Hiccup stood up and walked over.

"He is my brother, Races the Night...but we call him Toothless." Toothless snarled when the other vikings looked at him, not particularly fond of the weapons they were brandishing.

"...Oh my Thor, that's a Night Fury."

"Yes, Fishlegs."

"Astrid, he can touch a Night Fury?!"

"Yes, Fishlegs...heck, I've seen him sntach a fish from his mouth."

"Was mine first!" Toothless made a shriek that sounded like an argument.

"Anyway, look...we're all really tired. You guys were probably rowing for weeks and riding a dragon is not as easy as it sounds. So, why don't we all eat something and then get some sleep?" Though there were two of the fastest and dangerous dragons in the immediate area, Cami's group could not deny the fact that they were beyond exhausted and hungry. The fish they had were in need of cooking and the fire they had started had died out thirty minutes ago.

"Alright...but if those dragons make any moves to kill us, I'll have their heads."

"And if you make any moves to hurt these dragons, Hiccup is going to become that horrible creature Tuffnut was talking about." Hiccup's harsh glare at Camicazi really confirmed Astrid's words.

* * *

Hiccup sat crouched by the waters in the night with Toothless flying overhead, listening to the quietness of the wind and the snores of the vikings further up the beach. After catching some fish for him and Astrid to eat, the boy had been subject to relentless questioning from Large and Shaky (whom he learned was called Fishlegs, though it made no sense since fish don't have legs) and Head like Rock (who was called...Tuffnut...?), getting strange looks from Sea-Eyes (Camicazi) and Head like Fish (Ruffnut)? The only one who didn't seem to speak to him too much was Speaks Like Fool. Of course, he didn't like Speaks Like Fool too much, he was the one that Astrid told him about.

He, like any other dragon, did not appreciate any rivals for his mate and that meant Speaks Like Fool. He wouldn't attack if he didn't try to take her, though.

The sands beneath him were cool while the water in front of him was frigid. He watched the huge icy masses float by slowly when the sand shifted behind him. There was someone there. Judging by the length and width of the shadow due to the moon's light, he guessed it was Speaks Like Fool. "I know what you're doing." His voice sounded agitated and his stance was probably tense. Hiccup glanced over his shoulder. "And it won't work."

"...What will not work?"

"What you're doing."

"What is that?"

"You're trying to steal Astrid away from me." Now, he stood up. At his full height, Hiccup towered over Snotlout by a good foot or so. He stared down at him with his vibrant green eyes, silently issuing a challenge for him to continue. "But it won't work."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really! You may not have noticed but we have something together."

"Like what?"

"Duh, she digs me." Snotlout puffed out his chest, "you may ride dragons and may have seen the nest and everything, but Astrid wants a real viking. Not some..weirdo who lived with animals that have been our enemies for hundreds of years." Hiccup scoffed.

"I do not think she does."

"Oh, really? And why is that?" Hiccup opened his mouth to speak before stopping to think. Sure, he had to act more like a viking to connect to his heritage, but why not act like a dragon on this? And what would a dragon do in this situation?

Show off his claim.

Hiccup quickly shut his mouth and smirked, "you will see soon." With that, Hiccup stretched and stood as Toothless landed on the ground beside him. Snotlout stepped back quickly as the night fury snarled at him. "I will be back soon." He climbed atop his back and shot into the air, immediately disappearing from sight.

* * *

That morning, the sky was bright and clear. Astrid opened her eyes and sat up, immediately remembering that she wasn't at home nor in Hiccup's cave. Stormfly slept beside her with her wing wrapped around the viking girl like a warm, scaly blanket. Farther out, Camicazi slept beside Tuffnut, who slept between her and Ruffnut. Ruffnut, interestingly enough, had her fist firmly planted in his stomach while Cami had her arms wrapped around his waist. Snotlout slept a bit closer to her location, but far enough to keep out of Stormfly's reach and Fishlegs was sleeping next to the burning embers of the fire, clutching the Book of Dragons like baby holds his safety blanket. Hiccup was nowhere to be found, which was not odd at all. He woke up earlier than her and seemed to need less sleep.

She distinctly remembered him holding her, though, when they went to bed so that was weird. He was usually around when she woke up.

Astrid stretched, grunting a bit and waking up Stormfly. The large dragon sat up and opened her big maw in a yawn, displaying her massive sharp teeth and vibrant pink tongue. The Nadder chirped and nudged her rider drowsily, greeting her with a _"morning welcome morning"_.

"Morning, girl. You sleep well?"

 _"Sleep yes good yes sleep good yes no maybe?"_

 _"Sleep yes good."_

"Ugh...what's with all the noise?" Ruffnut's crabby voice let them know that the others were waking up. Astrid stood up and brushed her clothes of the sand that clung to them. Ruffnut scratched her head and stood up, rubbing her eyes. "Were you...talking to the dragon?"

"Yeah. My pronunciation is not the best. But, I can kinda talk to dragons."

"Astrid, listen to me very carefully...dragons don't talk."

"Not like vikings."

"Astrid."

"Ruffnut, for the first few years of your life, you believed that on the night of a full moon, Tuffnut turned into a beaver and ran amok through the village singing wedding tunes."

"Nevermind that-"

"What about me being a beaver?"

"And wedding tunes?" Now Cami and Tuffnut were up and Fishlegs and Snotlout were not far behind. "Why are you up so early? The sun hasn't even made it to the sky, yet."

"Deadly Nadders are early risers, so I get woken up whether I want to or not. And Night Furies usually head home by this time, so...where the Hel is Hiccup?"

"Maybe he ran off, gave him a pretty clear warning last night." Snotlout marched over to the pile of firewood he had collected last night and brought it over. Astrid stared at him. He didn't...

"What. Warning?"

"Told him to back off, that you were my girl and he was just some weirdo who lives with dragons."

"...You didn't..."

"I totally did. I wouldn't be surprised if he never showed his face aga-" A loud shriek and Hiccup was back, on Toothless. He was carrying a makeshift basket filled with fruit. "...In..."

 _"Morning welcome morning Rides the Night."_

 _"Morning welcome morning Sky Eyes love happy yes good sleep yes maybe no?"_

 _"Love happy yes good sleep yes yes."_ Hiccup hopped off the back of his dragon and carried the fruit over to her. There were mainly peaches and apples. Where did he get these? He seemed to be wide awake too, so did he get some sleep while he was out?

"Hiccup, where did you get these?"

"There." He pointed to the inner fog of Breakneck Bog. "Cloud Breathes gave them to me."

"What are Cloud Breathes?" Fishlegs got closer slowly as Hiccup's words interested in him.

"I'm not sure. He calls dragons different names than we do. Like Deadly Nadders are Spiney Tails. Monstrous Nightmares are Fire Skins. Night Furies are Night Hunters." She picked up an apple and bit into it. "Thanks, Hiccup, but you didn't need to get us breakfast. Have you even eaten?" He shook his head.

"Mate eats first." Astrid blushed and then blushed harder when the others looked at her. She had omitted the fact that Hiccup is her...mate. He smiled, feigning obliviousness when he was really just bragging. She glared at him.

He was more human than he seemed at times.

"Wait a minute...mate?! What does he mean mate?!" Snotlout was not happy, of course.

"Leave it alone, Snotlout! Anyway, we have a plan to take care of the dragons attacking Berk. So, let's eat and then we'll talk." Hiccup handed off fruit to everyone, saving Snotlout for last. When he handed him a peach, he smirked and hissed before taking some for himself and sitting beside Astrid.

Toothless trotted over and laid down as Stormfly stood up and cawed before taking off into the skies. "Hey! Your dragons running of-"

"No, Stormfly is just hunting for fish. She'll be back soon," Hiccup munched on his peach as she began to talk. "Look, the way the war is going, we will all be wiped out. We need to find a different way to deal with dragons and I think Hiccup is the answer."

"Why?"

"He can teach us how to train dragons." The all stared at her like she was crazy, "think about it, guys. He has been with dragons since he was a baby. He already showed me how to fly a dragon and I can speak to her now too. There's a dragon in Helheim's Gate that forces other dragons to raid villages and bring it food."

"Why wouldn't they just ignore it or fight it off."

"Dragons will die." Hiccup's simple explanation helped, "it is a queen. It will kill and eat dragons. That nest is not safe and dragons are sick. I will teach you about dragons and you can use them to fight." He sat up, "but you help me too."

"And what do you need help with?"

"Father." Camicazi raised an eyebrow.

"Father?" He nodded.

"Hiccup's father is...Stoick the Vast." They all sprang up.

"What?!"

"That's impossible!"

"Stoick's family died when they were..." Cami trailed off, "carried off by a dragon..." Astrid nodded. "...Then...Hiccup's the rightful Hairy Hooligan heir."

"Okay, hold on a moment!"

"That's right."

"What's an heir?"

"Um HELLO?"

"Sweet Thor, we don't have to have Snotlout as a chief!"

"I knew that the Gods hadn't abandoned us."

"Watch it, Fishface!"

"Wait, so...what are we talking about again?"

"Okay, so...if Hiccup is the lost heir to Stoick the Vast, what happened to his mom?"

"She's alive. She's just back at the nest." Astrid thought for a moment, "but she'd rather stay there right now than return to Berk, so let's just keep it simple and not mention her at all."

"Why? She's Stoick's wife. All Stoick has to do is make this guy take him to the nest and bring her back by force if she's being difficult."

"No." Hiccup shook his head, "Mum is like...Sea Roarer..."

"Sea...?"

"He means a thunderdrum."

"Will not budge, will not give...will die before giving in."

"That's right. She's way too stubborn and Hiccup won't lead Stoick to his nest."

"Why not?" The unemotional look on her boyfriend's face spoke volumes.

"He just won't. Don't be fooled by how he looks, he won't put that nest in any danger whatsoever." Astrid stretched. "But anyway...if we can convince Stoick to let him teach the village about dragons, we can use them to fight the Queen and that will stop the raids."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Dragons will not fight for Queen, they will run as soon as they can." Hiccup stood, "I will help village. I will save...viking family...no more blood." Everyone still looked a bit unconvinced.

"Fishlegs, how many eggs can a Gronkle lay?" The large viking stared at Astrid for a long time.

"I dunno, it's never been reco-"

"Four. Five if feeding is good and female is not in fear for life constantly."

"Really?"

"Mainly females, but one or two male is always born. Rock Hides lay eggs...three times a year."

"Seriously?! I didn't know that, how did you-" Fishlegs stared at Hiccup for a long time. "You really lived amongst them...among dragons...what else do you know?" Astrid smiled. So, Hiccup made one friend so far...two if you count Tuffnut.

"Hiccup can wrestle down a full grown Monstrous Nightmare, he fastened claws for himself using Night Fury claws, and he can sleep upside down." Tuffnut and Ruffnut were suddenly on Hiccup, asking if he wanted to hang and how did he feel about rotten fish guts and catapults. Snotlout even looked a bit impressed when Hiccup recounted how he had stared down a Skrill at the age of thirteen, as did Camicazi.

"..So, if you say dragons are so friendly...than why is the black one glaring at me?" Astrid looked over at Toothless, who was staring at everyone with his irises slightly skinnier than normal.

"No, he's just a bit nervous. Really...Hiccup, show everyone about Toothless." The boy rushed over to his draconic brother and began squawking at him loudly, flapping his arms around like a bird. Toothless responded in kind by roaring twice and opening his wings full span. They went back and forth like that before Toothless, begrudgingly, stomping over and sat up in front of Camicazi.

"...Uhhh...what is he-holy Thor!" That's right. Toothless gave Camicazi his signature smile, with his fangs pulled in and an awkward twitch of his lips. "Is he smiling?!" She began cracking up from it, "that is too much! That is way too much!"

"Yeah, Toothless is just a big cat. He gets moody, loves fish, and getting his belly scratched. See?" Then Astrid began scatching Toothless in all his favorite spots, causing the dragon to fall on his side and groan happily. "He really isn't that bad."

"Okay, so he can...smile...how is that going to convince Stoick that dragons can be good?" Astrid sighed.

"Let me worry about that, okay. I just need you guys to help me get Hiccup onto Berk." Tuffnut stopped his onslaught of trying to touch Toothless, with Hiccup holding him back, to speak up.

"Uh...why? He's got a dragon." Astrid rolled her eyes.

"Sure, Hiccup will just fly on his Night Fury and announce to Stoick that he's his son..."

"Sounds like a plan, I'm in." Maybe this would be harder than she thought.

* * *

 **Okay...guys...STUFF HAPPENS, I HAVE LITTLE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET RIGHT NOW. SO THE NEXT ONE WHO MESSAGES WITH A STRAIGHT UP RUDE MESSAGE LIKE "You need to update Night Speed" will be cussed out with extreme prejudice. I mean, really? Nhkosoy, are you my boss? Do you PAY me to post these chapters? NO. You don't. I happen to have a job and responsibilities, so you will get your freakin' chapter when I'm good and ready, got it?**

 **DO NOT MESSAGE ME AGAIN.**


	12. Chapter 12

Deranged

It turns out that they wouldn't leave the island until a few days after running into her friends, but Astrid wouldn't have it any other way. The more time she had to prepare the lost heir of Berk for meeting the rest of her village, the better. She spent many of the following two days tutoring him on everything from folklore to fighting styles to even what they ate at certain parts of certain days. Snotlout, of course, kept butting in and commenting on how Dragon Boy would never be a real viking and how Astrid was wasting her time on him when she could be with a true viking.

That always earned either a punch from Astrid or a swift kick to the temple by Hiccup.

"So, viking females do not...let hair...out of braid?"

"Yeah, ever notice how your mother keeps her hair braided?"

"Keeps out of eyes."

"Well, sure NOW, but back when she was younger, it was a rule. Unmarried-"blank stare-"unmated viking females have to keep their hair braided until they get mates." Hiccup sat back, considering the peculiarity of viking traditions when a thought came into his head.

"Sky Eyes has mate...me." Astrid's cheeks burst into flames when he gave her a sneaky smile. "Why does Sky Eyes still have braids?"

"oh no, don't even think about it, Dragon Boy. You have to go through a viking mating ritual before I unbraid my hair." Hiccup pouted for a moment before scooting closer to her. For the moment, they were alone. Toothless and Stormfly had flown off in search of something infinitely more interesting than a group of vikings still trying to come to terms with not being eaten by them and a feral dragon boy getting human lessened from his viking mate. The other vikings had gone to the other side of the island to restock their fish supply and water. So, for the time being, he had Astrid to himself. It was nice after being harassed by Snotlout and the twins about Astrid/dragons. She leaned back and sighed, "feels like it's been forever since I was on Berk."

"...Not ready to go home?"

"No, I am...Don't get me wrong, the Nest is amazing...but I've missed my friends and family...it'll be nice to see them again." Hiccup nodded quietly.

"...Will come back to Nest though? See Mother and Alpha and Father-in-Heart?" She glanced at her mate and saw the worried look in his eyes. It was very possible that, once Stoick realized who Hiccup actually was, that he'd keep a strict eye on him. After all, he may even want to start training Hiccup to be chief instead of Snotlout (because, come on, anyone is better than Snotlout.) Hiccup may not see his nest for a very long time. Astrid could see that, despite the fact that he is slow on viking tradition and laws, Hiccup understood that he may not see his nest for a while.

"Of course, Babe, when this is all over, we'll fly right back and see them. After all, the Alpha will want to know how it went, right?" Hiccup instantly brightened up. The idea of letting the Alpha know about the success of his commandment overshadowed the possible fact of not seeing his family as constantly as he was used to. "And then there's that migration period you told me about, right? You'll want to be back for that and then there's Toothless' migration pattern. Bet he won't leave unless you're with him." Astrid blinked when Hiccup began excitedly babbling about that and how he missed Chases the Light, "which reminds me...I've never met Chases the Light. Does she ever visit?" Hiccup shook his head.

"Chases the Light does not like nests. Too noisy, too many smells...likes space."

"But doesn't she ever miss Toothless or you?" Hiccup nods.

"Does miss us." He pointed to the sky. "When Chases the Light misses us, she calls." With that he mimicked a Night Fury call, but it sounded...different. Sadder, lonelier, more...soulful. "We find immediately."

"But why not just come to the nest and visit? She doesn't have to stay," Hiccup sighs.

"Did once...not again..." He didn't elaborate any further, but when Astrid opened her mouth, he growled.

"Okay, okay, fine...Mr Grumpy Scales." Hiccup chuffed.

"Am not Grumpy Scales."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Uh huh and Toothless hates fish."

"Brother does not hate fish."

"Its called sarcasm, you use it all the time."

"Sarcasm?"

"When you say things like _sky eyes no sound like sea roarer no_ whenever I sing." He gave her an impish grin and she hit him in the chest, "That's sarcasm."

"Still sound like Sea Roarer."

"Oh shut up!"

* * *

When they finally did head back to Berk, it was as if she hadn't been in the sky for years. Which is funny, considering the fact that Astrid had not started flying until this year. Hiccup often shot ahead of them, warning dragons ahead of them to clear the way for his new viking comrades. After all, they had just started to get used to Toothless and Stormfly. Hiccup was sure that meeting numerous pods of Sea Roars, Water Spitters, Double Waters, and a pack of particularly curious Cloud Breathes would prove too much. Astrid was the one who pushed Stormfly to call them back, since over the rushing wind, Hiccup would most likely not hear her...or Toothless would ignore her since he did not want to be near her viking pals, who Stormfly was continuously flying above. "Astrid!" The blonde warrior looked down to see Ruffnut calling to her and she angled Stormfly downwards so that they would glide above her. The two had been close friends, being the only eligible young ladies in their group (asides from Camicazi, but she was rarely there) and being of a similar mindset.

In that they were just as capable as their male counterparts.

"So, me and the guys were talking. How are we gonna convince Stoick that Hiccup is...well...Hiccup? I mean, he doesn't look like he'd be Stoick's son." Astrid had to agree on that part. Though she knew that Hiccup had his own strength and was no stranger to a fight, his appearance did not betray that to others. He was (while muscular in a slim way) very...un-viking like in appearance. Sure, he had Valka's hair and his father's eyes, but would that be enough to prove that he was blood related to the great Stoick the Vast? Astrid sighed, "his mom told me a few things to keep Stoick from killing him. When he was born, how much he cried, his favorite toys..."

"Well, yeah, but anyone who talks to Gobber will know that." Ruffnut mentioned, momentarily turning to glare at Tuffnut who was constantly trying to get Stormfly to attack him. The Deadly Nadder, however, was no having it. She chuffed and continued to ignore him. "We need some actual concrete evidence if we're gonna make sure Stoick doesn't unknowingly kill his only son." Astrid felt the need to get some ice for her growing headache. Ruffnut, the smarter half of the Thornston twins, was right. Hiccup even knew there was a danger to approaching the father he knew so little about. But he was counting on them to help him connect to him, not just save his nest. Hiccup wanted to know his father, wanted to know the half of his family that was so clouded in secrecy to him that they bordered on mythical to him. Astrid believed that if Hiccup had pursued his quest to know his heritage earlier, instead of trying to preserve his mother's feelings, that he would have found his way to Berk eventually. Maybe he would have eventually gotten Stoick to listen, but who was to say that Stoick wouldn't blood eagle him for arriving to Berk on a Night Fury? In all honesty, Astrid would have preferred he let her do the talking, like he was now.

After all, they were vikings. It would take a miracle from Odin to convince Stoick that this was his son...Astrid could only hope Odin was feeling miraculous.

* * *

The island had not suffered any dragon attacks in a good couple months, which was not unusual for them...unfortunately. Like Berk, the Berserkers prided themselves on their dragon killing culture, often adorning dragon bones and teeth and claws as armor or weapons. The paths were permanently stained red within their village, from all the blood from enemies, prisoners, and dragons that were publicly executed or killed within the village central. Dragon training did not start until you were fifteen here, oh no, it started when you were five. And your parents would look at you in disgust if you showed fear or pain, not pity. The weaker vikings were the ones who got fed to the dragons first and the stronger vikings got the first pick in everything from food to wives.

That's right, WIVES.

Polygamy was alive and well in the Berserker tribe. They married only within the clan for the most part, not due to viewing other tribes as weaker or beneath them, but because no other family wanted to send their precious daughters to the Berserker tribe to be a sister wife. They'd take a unmarried daughter over a daughter in the Berserker tribe any day.

Of all the Berserkers' faults, there was one thing they could all agree on, be they Berserker, Hooligan, Burglar, or Outcast...

Dagur the Deranged was absolutely...positively...without an inkling of a doubt...

DERANGED.

The boy had come into power at the tender age of sixteen, completely intent on proving himself to the rest of the viking world and the gods that he had earned this name. And boy, did he prove it. Not only did he nearly destroy the Meathead Tribe for forgetting to send a letter of congratulations on becoming chief (they had the nerve to send him condolences instead on the death of his father), but he also nearly caused a war with the Hooligans over the fact that he did not like Snotlout. in a short year and a half, Dagur had proven to the entire archipelago that, after dragons, he was public enemy number one. Even Alvin the Treacherous, whom had begun a small treaty with Dagur, couldn't handle his insanity and promptly severed ties. The boy was just too mad. He'd grabbed the chiefdom and held onto it like a toddler holding onto his favorite blanket.

But, like every chief, he had responsibilities. And, as much as he wished he could, even Dagur could not ignore the needs of his people. Not because he genuinely cared for the well being of his tribe mates and that, deep down, he was actually a good chief...it was because if push comes to shove, having your entire tribe turn on you would not be a very good political move. The last thing Dagur wanted was to be overthrown, and so we find him here.

In the Great Hall, with his own council of Elders, arguing over their next move. They had already begun plans on how to take control of the entire archipelago. The dragon raids that everyone else was frequently having was draining out their resources, making the surrounding tribes weak. Dagur, for once, praised the dragons. They were basically handing him the tribes on a silver platter. Once the sorrounding tribes were basically wiped clean of all their strength and supplies, the Berserkers would swoop in and take over. Once they had the entire archipelago in their grasp, Dagur would set a finally siege on the dragons, thus eradicating them once and for all...and securing his place as ruler of the vikings.

But only if the Council of Elders would finally stop whining and just let him do his job. He really wished he could just get rid of this stupid Council, but the tribe demanded it. He already took away their right to vote on different topics, such as who to attack, who to be friends with, and who to trade with. They would not let him take away the only voice they all had with all the big choices. "Dagur, with the attack on that Hooligan recruiting boat, the rest of the archipelago is bound to know that something is amiss. Once Berk realizes it was us who attacked unprovoked, the entire archipelago from Bog Burglars to Outcasts is going to rain down Hel on us."

"Oh please!" Dagur sneered, "we wiped out everyone on that ship. Who's going to tell them it was us, the Scouldrons? By now, Berk is probably hunting down Romans or dragons, thinking that they did it. And Stoick is going to go on another hunt for the nest as always and leave Berk virtually unprotected. That's where we will strike."

"Berk? Are you mad? Even if Stoick is not on the island at the time, that does not mean it's unprotected! The Bog Burglars frequent the waters about as much as Thunderdrums! They'll know that Stoick is not on Berk and they will notice if they see the Berserker fleet headed that way. I'm not sure about you, my friends, but I would rather not have to explain to Big Boobied Bertha why we look like we're on our way to do war with a tribe whom we have sworn to not fight with until the end of the dragon scourge," an elder hissed. He had been putting Dagur's idea down from the beginning, calling it foolish and crazy. "If Odin had wanted one man to rule the world, he'd have sent him by now," he had said. Dagur had half a mind to cut him in half.

"Who cares about the Bog Burglars? It's a tribe full of women, throw some kittens on board and they'll leave us alone."

"Dagur, the Bog Burglars have a bigger fleet than ours and are better at battles at sea than any other tribe. I don't think kittens will appease them."

"Then what do you suggest, Smarty pants?!"

"Let's just back out of this plan now. Alert Stoick to a mistake, tell him we thought we were being attacked by Outcasts. A bit crude, but he'll take our word over Alvin's. No one will be none the wiser." Dagur glared at him.

"Say that one more time and I'll blood eagle you in your sleep." The elder paled and shut his mouth quickly. Dagur had looked furious in that moment. "Fine, we won't attack Berk...They're too far away and it's true, the Bog Burglars will stop us before we're within a thousand leagues of the place...so, let's go to the Meatheads. They have more supplies, and the Bog Burglars rarely go there since that little thing with Big Boobied Bertha and Hagar the Obnoxious."

"Little thing? Dagur, he ripped off her chest plate."

"So? We were all curious to see if she stuffed them, don't deny that, Gillen!"

* * *

 **And there we have it. I was finally able to get the day off from work while simultaneously getting the house to myself and I was able to wipe up a quick chapter for you guys. No need to thank me. I will probably update a little more in the future because my living arrangements are set to change, but don't expect the next chapter too soon.  
**

 **So, not much happened in this chapter, we just saw Astrid tutoring Hiccup on viking traditions while also comforting him on the fact that he may or may not see his nest for a very long time. It's sad, but true. I would think that Hiccup understands that by leaving to go help his human family, that he'd basically be leaving the only home he has ever known and it would take some time before Stoick or the rest of the tribe let him leave again. I mean, after all, Hiccup is the true heir to the Hairy Hooligan chiefdom. Whether or not he accepts it is probably moot. But I'm sure if Astrid explains that since Stoick is the current "alpha" that makes Hiccup the future "alpha". Will the Hooligans _like_ the idea of a feral born dragon boy being chief?**

 **We'll see.**

 **Second, I've always liked the idea of Ruffnut being the smarter of the twins. In the show, she can cause a lot of trouble and have a lot of blonde moments, if you watch closely, you'll see that Ruffnut is usually the one who creates the plan of what the twins will do or will hit Tuffnut when he says something so stupid that even she can't believe how stupid it actually is. And in Dragons: Race to the Edge, when Tuffnut thought he was going to be turned into some weird were-dragon thing, Ruffnut was the one who dragged Snotlout around and made him get bitten by different animals and dragons (he totally deserved it, don't fee bad for him) just to compare it to the bite mark on Tuffnut's arm and prove to her brother that he was perfectly fine (that's some good scientific investiagtion, Professor Ruffnut). So the fact that it was Ruffnut who pointed out that just a few words and stories straight from Valka might not be enough to prove to Stoick that Hiccup is his long lost son seemed to be the right fit. I mean, after all, Ruffnut may not be the brightest candle in the room, but she's certainly no fool.**

 **Third, Dagur. I've had a lot of trouble over the past couple months on what to do with Dagur. I mean, in Chapter Three, it was immediately stated that the ship Astrid was on was attacked by Berserkers. At the time, it was just a good explanation as to why there was a legit ghost ship floating around that area where Hiccup just HAPPENED to be flying above. And it worked until I realized something...now what? I mean...why did Dagur attack the ship? Sure, he's crazy...it's in his name! But I mean, he had to have a reason, it can't be just "Oh, hey Stoick, I attacked your ship for no reason at all, but hey, whateves. We cool? Cool, see you on the flip side of Valhalla!" That makes no sense. Then I added that whole archipelago wide treaty. So what would possess Dagur, as crazy as he is, to attack a Hooligan ship, knowing that the entire archipelago would rain down on him like Thor's hammar?**

 **The answer?**

 **WORLD DOMINATION.**

 **It makes sense, doesn't it? I mean, in the movie, dragons are repeatedly attacking the archipelago (not as frequently as in this story, but okay). That's gotta drain resources and warriors get tired too. So, what if, Dagur decided to take advantage of that and attempt to take over the archipelago in it's weakened state? But then came another problem? If the dragons are attacking so much, why aren't the Berserkers weakened too? The answer?**

 **We don't really know where the Berserker Tribe is. All we know is when Dagur is here, he brings the armada. That's it. What if the Berserker's island is on the outskirts of the archipelago, too far for the Queen to safely control her dragons? Kind of like the ice cream that's waaaaaaaaaay in the back of the freezer and you know it's there, but you just washed your hands and you don't wanna get it because your hands are still too wet and no. So, while Dagur is back there in the freezer, bored out of his mind, he thinks up...Hey...why don't I just take over the archipelago, kill all the dragons when I'm done, and then throw a big massive party to celebrate how awesome I am?**

 **Sounds like a plan, Dagur.**

 **So, I'm really happy with this chapter. It reveals why Dagur attacked Astrid's ship (because we all need to test the waters first, right?) and it also opens up the space for Dagur and Hiccup's relationship. I'm sure I don't need to tell you this now, but Hiccup will more than likely not like Dagur and vice versa. Hiccup will not like the fact that Dagur treats life (both viking and dragon) so callously and Dagur will not like the fact that Hiccup basically ended the raids and just made things several times harder than before. Not too mention, I'm...kind of thinking of making Dagur hit on Astrid (because, hey, even Dagur needs a wife)...haven't decided yet. This will probably come more into play in future chapters because I plan on using many of the show and movie's villians (yes...possibly...even Drago) and maybe even Romans (BECAUSE THIS IS...sparta).**

 **And finally, Chases the Light. We've mentioned her I think once before, but Chases the Light is the female night fury who is mated to Toothless. I think their relationship will mirror a lot with Hiccup and Astrid, but for reasons that will remain secret until later, Chases the Light chooses to stay away from the nest. Like Toothless, Chases the Light adores Hiccup and Valka (and to some extent, Cloudjumper), so it's a very potent reason as to why she stays away. We'll see her later on in the movie...and maybe...**

 **We might see somebody else.**


	13. Chapter 13

This is Berk

It is Berk. It's twelve days north of Hopeless and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death. It's located on the Meridan of Misery. This island is home to the Hairy Hooligans, one of the most revered viking tribes known. They have lived on this freezing piece of lonely rock for over three hundred generations, but every building in the village is brand new. They have a lovely view of sunrises and sunsets with a thriving trade of fish and weapons. It rains four ten months out of the year, hails for most of one month, than snows for the remaining two, but that has grown these vikings into a tough weathered people.

The only problem?

The pests.

Gobber watched inside his forge as fire seemed to rain down from Valhalla, the devils tearing through the air like mad birds, attacking everything in sight. Vikings responded in kind, striking down anything with scales and wings, going through swords, axes, and spears like yaks going through hay. Ah well, at least it kept him in business, though this raid seemed particularly bad. They came when it had just barely begun to get dark and they seemed to have a never ending assault, dive bombing from the sky and snatching up crops, livestock, and vikings alike with hellish maw and claws. Stoick was surveying the damage as his fellow tribesmen fought the beasts back with every breath. "Stoick!" One of them, Jugnut Thorston, came running up with his report. Since the two heirs had gone missing alongside the twins and Fishlegs, he had spent a lot of time with the families, trying to piece together where they could have gone and why they had left. Like Stoick, they were all quite worried. Who knows what dangers lurked among the waves? After all, Not So Harsh Winter was now upon them, and with it, more dragons. Stoick had been suffering from a headache since the day they had been found missing, he could not afford to lose another heir.

"How are we, Jugnut?"

"We're up ta Thor's beard in Gronckles and Nadders, I saw a few Zipplebacks flyin' in from the South of the island and Sven spotted some Nightmares by the docks." Normally, Jugnut would toss in a bad joke, but he was all business now. This seemed worse than Stoick thought. With the disappearance of the young warriors and Berk still reeling from the loss of their tribesmen at sea, morale was at an all time low. But, he would have to worry later.

For, as Stoick suddenly found himself glaring into the glowing eyes of a fiercely hungry Monstrous Nightmare, he had a job to do.

* * *

It was late in the evening as their small, overpacked boat rocked back into Berk's waters. They had been rowing for a good part of the day, though it was much quicker than when they left since Toothless and Stormfly had been kind enough to tow their boat for a few hours each day to give the vikings plenty of rest. Said dragons now, however, were currently in the back of the boat, smushed together as they napped. Fishlegs and Snotlout were also sleep, as well as Tuffnut. Usually this meant that they'd have to wait until one of the boys were awake again, but Hiccup had finally joined them on the boat and was getting into the rhythm of rowing. "Getting tired yet, Hiccup? You've been rowing for hours now." Hiccup had worked up quite a sweat. So much so that he had taken off his shirt and was now in full view of a shamelessly staring Ruffnut and a glance stealing Camicazi. Astrid scooted as close as she could to him while shooting heated glares at the two young women. He gave her a crooked grin.

"I want to. Like to help mate," he rubbed his cheek against hers, a draconian show of intimate affection...one that made her blush so bright red that Ruffnut would forever claim that one could clearly see it in the dim light.

"Hiccup..."

 _"No touch bad touch no happy yes no?"_ Astrid sighed, it wasn't like he was doing anything outwardly wrong. Either he'd learn sooner or later how to act more viking like or vikings would learn to take him and all his dragon-like quirks.

Astrid could only hope it was a bloodless lesson.

As they got closer, the dragons' heads shot up and Toothless growled. Stormfly's corresponding shriek woke the slumbering vikings and Hiccup dropped his sweet, loving persona for one that made Astrid see more of the Dragon Rider legend that had sprung up. He stared into the skies and snarled, with Astrid moaning.

They would return as soon as there was a dragon raid.

Hiccup hopped up immediately, rocking the boat violently as he scrambled onto Toothless' back and shot into the night sky before Astrid could stop him. "Oh for the love of Thor!"

"What's going on!? What happened!?" The confusion reached a fever pitch when Astrid hopped onto Stormfly, "babe, what are you doing!?" Snotlout grabbed at her leg, but Stormfly's snarl made him jump back in surprise as the now agitated Deadly Nadder jumped into the air and shot after the now invisible Night Fury and his equally elusive rider.

"Hiccup!" After racing after him, Astrid found herself on the side of the battlefield that she had never before thought she'd be on.

The dragon's side, where flames flew through the air like leaves in a hurricane. Dragons dropped and swerved around them in a mad frenzy, shrieking things that made no sense whatsoever and were spoken to fast for her to clearly catch. She did catch tidbits.

 _"DANGER!"_

 _"FOOD!"_

 _"MORE!"_

 _"MINE!"_

 _"KILL!"_

 _"CATCH!"_

 _"FEED HER!"_

"Hiccup!" Said boy was already blowing away catapults and ripping off nets. Astrid groaned, this was not how she imagined introducing him to the village. The only good thing was that he was so camouflaged that it was as if a shadow was passing through. She looked around, it seemed like a bad one. Dragons were raining down on Berk like a draconian Ragnarok, sweeping up vikings and livestock left and right. "We gotta do something, girl."

 _"Defend yes yes keep out yes no steal bad queen bad!"_ And with that, Stormfly shot down like an arrow, shrieking at other Deadly Nadders as they began to encircle a group of yaks. Jumping off her back, Astrid rushed into the ground, spinning around only to shout something to Stormfly-

"Don't let them take any food!"

 _"No food yes!"_ She ran through the crowd, jumping over fallen logs and separating vikings from dragons as they tousled against each other.

"ASTRID!?" Deciding not to stick around long enough to be questioned, she rushed to break up another and another and another until it seemed like all she was doing was breaking up fights and shooing dragons away from live stock. Amazingly, Stormfly kept herself out of the hands of vikings while systematically keeping dragons away from the livestock. Hiccup had not landed once, because if he did, Astrid would know.

Word gets around fast on Berk.

"ASTRID!" She was yanked back by Stoick as he stared at her in disbelief. The girl had disappeared like a myth, swiftly drafting away like fog at their fingertips. She looked healthy, albeit her clothes were patched up and her hair looked slightly longer and less tamed. She had a certain wildness in her eyes that made him imagine staring at a young Nadder straight in the eye. "What-how did you...where have you been!?" He wanted to squeeze the girl in his arms and praise the Gods for her return, but at the present time it was not appropriate.

"Ah! H-ey, Chief..." Astrid struggled to think but by now the dragons were fleeing with less than they ever had gotten before. She craned her neck and saw Stormfly snarling at the now approaching vikings, who saw that she had not fled with the others. _Crap!_ She yanked herself out of Stoick's grasp and rushed to Stormfly, standing between her and the group of vikings, "whoa! Whoa! Easy, let's not do that."

"Astrid!" Her mother pushed to the front of the group, still soaked in sweat and blood as she ran to her daughter, grabbing her in her arms. Stormfly shrieked and raised her wings, a very obvious warning to Astrid's mother to not come much closer. She began pulling her behind her, "just stay here, Astrid, I'll rid the beast."

"Mom, no!" Just as Astrid grabbed her arms, a loud shriek emitted from the air. "Oh Gods..." Right on cue, Toothless slammed into the ground between Ingrid and Stormfly. A collective gasp took to the air as the Night Fury revealed itself.

It was not a big dragon, like the Deadly Nadder. Nor was it covered in spikes like the Monstrous Nightmare or intimidating like the Zippleback, but it instilled a type of fear that vikings knew instinctively. Like a rabbit staring into the eyes of a wolf, the vikings gripped onto their weapons even tighter in a reflex to their nervousness. It had acid green eyes with slits for irises, scales as dark as death, and wings large enough to knock five vikings off their feet in one blow. It's tail swished side to side menacingly.

It's rider was equally as intimidating. Dressed in clothes so dark they merged with the shadows, black scales sewn in place of armor. He leveled them all with a soulless stare, his helmet covering everything but the green glow of his eyes. Astrid gulped, this was not a good beginning. As Ingrid regained herself and took a step to advance, Hiccup snarled which prompted Toothless and Stormfly to snarl and shriek in warning. Quickly, she stood between the vikings and the dragons, in a baseless attempt to make sure no one got hurt. "Astrid, don't get close to that traitor, he'll sic his demon on you!"

"Not likely, Mom, he's...uh...anyway, he won't."

"What kind of monster sides with these beasts?"

"I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes."

"Kill him! Kill the dragon lover!" These hushed accusations grew louder and louder until the entire crowd was pushing towards the dragons and Hiccup. Immediately on the defensive, Hiccup shrieked, making the vikings jump and back off. He looked at Astrid, clicking. Astrid nodded and then he snarled at Stormfly. This prompted Stormfly to spread her wings and shoot off into the air, followed by Toothless and Hiccup. They disappeared into the night, over the forests of Berk and far from the village. Astrid sighed, at least he was out of harm's way for now. As soon as she thought that, though, the villagers began clamoring about finding the demon lover and his pets and having him pay for his treachery.

"Make way! Make way! Astrid!" Stoick's voice boomed over the crowd as the chief stormed up front. "We have another pressing matter to attend and a reason to celebrate. The devils barely got away with barely a barrel of fish and Astrid Hofferson has returned to Berk! Tonight, we hunt down the Night Fury and its Rider and celebrate the most glorious night in Berk's history!" A resounding cheer erupted from Stoick's announcement, but before they could garter up their weapons, Astrid spoke up.

"Not so fast!" Stoick looked at the lass. She had always been a though one, one of the finest at Berk. She was first in Dragon Training, she trained no matter the weather, and was able to subdue an Outcast and a dragon at the same time. But now, she looked more determined than she had ever been. "Stoick, I really need to talk to you."

"Lass, whatever it is, I'm sure we can talk about it while we find that man."

"No, it can't. It's about him."

"Yes, yes, I've heard all the stories about him, but don't let that frighten-"

"Chief, he's here to help us!" That made everyone freeze as they turned to look at the girl they had been mourning for months. Astrid's father, Hagard, made his way to his long lost daughter, torn between hugging her and locking her up. He had not seen his precious eldest since she disappeared and had been resigned that he would not see her until he took his seat in Valhalla. Now, here she was, in the midst of battle, looking healthy and focused with the energy of a Nadder seeping off her. "Daddy?"

"My girl!" He swooped her up and squeezed her, "where have ye been? We all thought ye dead."

"It's a long story, Daddy, but I'm telling the truth. The Dragon Rider's come here to help us stop the dragons from raiding."

"Astrid, why would he want to help us? He's siding with the monsters."

"He's...look, it's like a giant beehive. The dragons are just the worker bees, if we keep killing them, then more will just come. We have to get the Queen."

"There's a Queen dragon...you've been to the nest?" Stoick looked deep into her eyes, "Where is it?"

"I haven't been to the one near Helheim's Gate, but I have been to one. And the dragons there...they are completely different than the ones who keep raiding us." He stared down at her before turning to the crowd.

"Everyone, return to your homes for the night. The Dragon Rider is probably long gone by now anyway. Astrid, to the Great Hall." As she followed him home, her parents hounded her with questions and tears, begging her to explain right away where she was and how she survived. She only hoped Hiccup wasn't too far off, she needed to be able to find him quickly for her new plan to work.

* * *

As he landed in the cove far from the village, Hiccup let out a collective sigh. Obviously, none of them had anticipated arriving when a dragon raid was happening, but it happened and Hiccup was never one to dwell to long on things he couldn't control. However, it didn't mean that he was not on edge now that he was actually on Berk. He could faintly feel the Dragon Queen yanking at his subconscious, demanding that he, Toothless, and Stormfly return to her nest and help her in her quest to gain nourishment for the upcoming take over. Hiccup shuddered.

Much like the Alpha, her commands were not only heard, but felt...unlike the Alpha, however, her commands felt like burning metal to the flesh, impossible to ignore and a pain to endure. She grated against the consciousness, like a Night Fury shrieking in his ear. Hiccup slumped off Toothless, who was fighting off the same effects and both of them crumbled to the ground, moaning.

 _"Pain fear yes yes anger rage bad queen bad scared brother in heart Sky Eyes yes fear yes Flies Through Storm fear yes."_ Toothless' garbled in nonsensical sentences, showing his thought process being jumbled up by the Dragon Queen's constant demands. Hiccup mumbled similarly, having just as bad a time.

Stormfly crooned, " _sad scared Sky Eyes where fear yes yes sad yes yes no bad Queen bad no._ " Hiccup whimpered before getting up and making his way to a hollowed out tree and nestling himself in. Toothless followed suit and soon, even Stormfly settled herself near the tree. If he was going to have to hear the Dragon Queen grumble in his ear about the punishment for defying her, he might as well get some rest while doing so. He just hoped Astrid was able to convince her village that not all dragons were out to hurt them.

* * *

 **Wow, this chapter was hard. I honestly had no clue where I would go with it. In the end, it's just about how they arrived back on Berk. Not much to say, aside from the fact that we probably won't get a TON of father/son fluff from Hiccup and Stoick right now. I mean, Stoick's got this whole "gotta save the village from the dragons" thing going on while Hiccup's all "gotta save the dragons from the Dragon Queen and vikings! OMG, flying! OMG, Astrid! OMG, TOOTHLESS! YAY!" over here like the little dork he is. I'm probably going to have Astrid mediate them mostly, "Chief, Hiccup's not gonna want to hear about how you once carved out a Nadder's guts as a failed attempt to propose to his mom." and "Hiccup, I swear to Odin, stop trying to get your dad to eat that fish. Toothless threw it up. No, it is not a sign of friendship to vikings." AND "OH MY ODIN, IF YOU TWO DON'T STOP TRYING TO OUT YELL EACH OTHER, I'LL RIP OUT YOUR THROATS AND FEED THEM TO STORMFLY!"**

 **Yeah, mediating.**


	14. Chapter 14

Berk, meet Hiccup

If Astrid thought explaining to Valka why Hiccup had to go to Berk was hard, explaining to Stoick why the Dragon Rider is here to help was a close equivalent. She had imagined that she would have Hiccup sitting beside her as she explained the epic tale of his circumstances as he nodded sheepishly.

Nope.

Hiccup had disappeared as quickly as he had appeared on Berk, wisely making himself scarce until he knew it was safe for him and the dragons. She sat alone in a dark Great Hall with the Council of Elders around her, her parents, and Stoick. They murmured amongst themselves, pausing every so often to glance at her as if they could not believe she was here, alive and breathing. And that she acted like she knew more about the Dragon Rider than they did. Stoick finally cleared his throat, silencing all. "Astrid, first...let me tell ye how glad we all are that you are alright. Before we speak about the Dragon Rider, I'd like to know what happened to the ship." Astrid nodded, clearing her own throat.

"We were sailing through Loki's Lair one night, on our way to the Meatheads Tribe when we were ambushed by Berserkers." A few hushed whispers echoed into the air once she said that. Stoick stiffened. The Berserkers attacked his ship? He glared at the air, somehow he did not put it past Dagur to do something so...deranged.

 _But why_ , Stoick wondered. Dagur was well aware of the treaty that all the tribes agreed to. Often, many thought it was by that treaty alone that kept Dagur from waging war against the entire archipelago.

"I was knocked unconscious and left alone, I guess they thought I was dead, and they slaughtered everyone before leaving the ship to rot. I don't remember how long I was out, but during that time, someone saved me." They all leaned in.

"Who, Dear?" Ingrid sat closest to her daughter, who looked her straight in the eye.

"The Dragon Rider." Those three words sent everyone into a frenzy, claiming that he was a demon who would never save her and that the lass must of hit her head. Stoick pounded his fist on the table and demanded silence.

"Go on, Astrid."

"He found the ship when he was out hunting and searched it. He found me immediately and took me to his home...a nest." Stoick stood.

"So you have been to the nest."

"Not _the_ nest, a nest. There are hundreds of them out there, all of different sizes. The one that's been attacking us is near Helheim's Gate, as you already know. Anyway, he took me back to his nest and nursed me back to health." Ingrid stared.

"And yer still alive? The dragons didn't touch ye?"

"No, actually...the dragons that have been attacking Berk and all the other tribes are being controlled. Like I said, it's basically a beehive. The Queen sends out dragons to raid villages and bring back food, if not then...she eats them. The dragons at the Dragon Rider's nest are different. They're healthier...happier...friendlier, even." Ingrid stared. "Anyway, he took me back and nursed me back to health...and well, he taught me more about dragons, more things that were in the Book of Dragons or Bork's journals. He knows about what's happening on Berk and he's offered to help us."

"And help us how?"

"He'll lead Berk to the nest at Helheim's Gate." A collective gasp sounded as Stoick tensed.

"He knows the way." Astrid nodded.

"He's been there before and knows what to expect, he's willing to show us how to get there, but..."

"And there it is," Spitelout snarled, "what does he want? Berk to pledge allegiance to him? All our women? Gold?"

"No, none of that...vikings can't take the Queen on alone, it'll crush us before we take two steps into the nest. But not only is he willing to lead us to the nest, he's also willing to teach a group of vikings to ride dragons." And now, shouting. Astrid sighed, it was expected that people would object. Dragons had been their enemies for centuries, it was not like that went away over night. If it didn't for her, then it definitely did not for them.

"Quiet, I said! Astrid, that idea is ludicrous. You're asking us to side with beasts that have killed hundreds of us."

"We've killed thousands of them, Chief! They do what we do, they protect themselves and those they love. Listen, at the rate this war is going, we won't last another hundred years or maybe even another ten. But we do have a common enemy. If we take out the Queen, the dragons at that nest will stop raiding us." She sighed. "If we keep trying to kill them, we'll only make it worse and, I don't know about you, but I'd like to live in a world that doesn't demand that I kill every moving thing." Stoick shook his head.

"It's just...so surprising to hear this from you."

"But it's not the first time you've heard it, is it?" He leveled her with a stare, but she stood her ground. His glare was similar to Toothless' glare whenever someone tries to take his fish. "That's another thing, Chief, he's not just the Dragon Rider...he's your son."

* * *

The morning came and went with little incident. Over the hours, the incessant call of the Dragon Queen lessened from a screech to a soft grumble and their headaches became nonexistent. Hiccup had awoken for a brief time to relieve himself and snack on the remaining fish he had on his person before curling up with Toothless and falling back into a blissful slumber. Stormfly awoke with a yawn and a need for food, so she was gone when he finally woke up in the mid-afternoon to the sound of vikings arguing and walking noisily through the woods. Toothless was now wide awake as well, grumbling about noisy humans and how he wished he was back at the Nest. Since it would be getting dark soon, Hiccup felt more at ease with moving about.

Toothless, though, was bigger and slightly easier to spot when not in the skies. So, said dragon crept out of the tree and scaled the walls into a snug cave that was barely big enough to fit him, let alone him and Hiccup. He growled at Hiccup to hide, but Hiccup snapped his jaw.

Nope.

Curious Hiccup has made a triumphant return over Cautious Hiccup.

Said feral boy quickly made his way up the wall, through a tunnel, and into the brush faster than one could bat an eyelash. It took little to no time for him to find the group and, with the noise they were making, he could have walked beside them and not been noticed. There were five of them, on of which was his mate. He fought to suppress a croon of happiness.

She was safe.

He had felt so bad about leaving her, but Hiccup also knew that this was her home and they wouldn't hurt her.

But still...

The others were large and older, reminding Hiccup of rumblehorns. The males had beards while the female, looking very similar to Sky Eyes, had her blonde hair in two thick braids. They stood above Sky Eyes with axes and swords and maces strapped to their bodies like extra limbs. One had a blonde braided beard that went down to the bottom of his stomach and smelled pretty badly, if Hiccup had anything to say about him. His right leg was replaced with a wooden stick and his left hand was replaced with a hook. He spoke animatedly and jokingly. The man beside him was monstrous in size, standing proudly with his shoulders back and his beard fluffed out like blood red storm clouds. He crossed his meaty arms and stared stoically ahead, occasionally speaking. The man behind Sky Eyes reminded him of Speaks Like Fool and, as Hiccup visibly grimaced, that must mean he was his father. Hiccup sighed, sadly. They were practically spitting images of each other, aside from the fact that he had a scar over his left eye and a black scraggly beard. The two beside him looked similar to Sky Eyes. The male had a shorter beard that was braided as well, but unlike Smells of Rot (the male with a hook), his was a single braid. He had Sky Eyes nose and walked with a determined purpose, pulling Sky Eyes closer when he thought she was going to veer off too far (which prompted both Sky Eyes and Mother of Sky to snap at him for being overprotective). Mother of Sky Eyes wore armor like her daughter, but was bulkier and had two axes aside from the one that Sky Eyes carried.

"Astrid, we've been walking for hours and not a sign of this Dragon Rider. He's probably halfway off Midgard by now."

"No, he's here. I told you, he's probably asleep. Otherwise, he would've sought me out."

"And why is that? And while I'm asking this, how are ye so sure he's Stoick's boy? Everyone knows that Valka and Hiccup were carried off and never seen again. Are ye telling me that all these years, they've been alive."

"...Basically..."

"That's a load of dragon dung, if I ever heard of it." He decided to call this one...Speaks like Pest. His words grated against Hiccup and he could tell that Sky Eyes was getting agitated too. Mother of Sky snarled at him.

"I don't care if ye think this is coming straight from Loki's mouth! I'll not another word about it...now, Dear, it is getting late. We'd better call it a day and head back."

"We can't. He sleeps during the day and we definitely won't find him then. At least when it starts to get dark, he'll be awake."

"And another thing, what if he doesn't want to be found?"

"What would be the point of him coming here if he didn't want to talk to you?" Astrid sighed, this was getting nowhere. "Look, he's probably awake now and hunting. If we just keep an eye out, we'll find him." _Eventually._ Normally, Astrid would just call out Hiccup's dragon name, but with everyone around, she wanted to keep the freak outs to a minimum. But if Hiccup decided that this was just not worth it, would he leave her here and return home? Or maybe go to the nest on his own and take on the queen...or may-

A slight rustling in the trees above alerted Astrid to the fact that Hiccup had not left and was not sleep.

Hiccup was right above her. She stared into the dark shadows of the leaves and trees and caught a glimpse of bright green eyes boring down at her, smiling in their own way. She pouted, glad to see him, but not letting him off the hook. "So, lemme guess...you've been following us for how long now?"

He made a huffing sound.

"Uh huh...did you have fun watching me worry about you?"

"...Fun yes yes?"

"Fun no no." The adults in their group stared up trying to pinpoint where he was. Hiccup, of course, was having none of that and slipped farther back, into the shadows. "Hiccup, I brought them here to speak with you. They're...willing to try our idea..." He purred.

" _...no danger no yes maybe...?_ " She nodded and he purred against. " _Sky Eyes safe yes no maybe?_ "

"I'm fine, Hiccup...come on, they won't hurt you." He huffed and disappeared, making sure they heard where he was going. "Ugh, I guess we're following him then." The group of vikings hiked their way after Astrid, who kept her eyes on the branches above them as they shook in the slightest, giving signs to where Hiccup was headed. She went this way and that, with Spitelout demanding where they were going and Gobber asking how she knew what he was saying. Finally, he appeared briefly.

To the vikings, he was scrawny, standing at only five foot nine, perhaps even just six feet. His hair was unruly and reddish brown and had a few single braids (courtesy of Astrid). He still wore the same black armor, aiding in his ability to hide in plain sight. He glanced back at Astrid, crooned, and disappeared into a tunnel above them. Astrid looked ahead and saw the cave allowing her to enter as well. The group followed hesitantly, expecting to come upon some sort of horror when they got to the other side. All they found was an empty cove with the sun beginning to cross to its final position before it set. Many in the village had stumbled upon this cove before, but it was so far from the village and such a trial to get to that many also rarely visited. That must have proved a great asset to anyone or anything seeking to hide on Berk, if the grooming Deadly Nadder was any indication. "Stormfly!" Said dragon was immediately up and running to Astrid, scooping her up and carrying her away from the other vikings before they could even reach for their weapons.

Which were missing.

HOW?!

"What in the-where the Hel is my mace!?" Even Gobber's hook was missing, much to his chagrin. Astrid freed herself from her nadder's incessant grooming and made her way back. "What is going on?!"

"I guess Hiccup wanted you to know where to find him." At that, Hiccup appeared, carrying all their weapons and throwing them on the ground before sitting and examining each one with a curious eye. Stoick stared at him as he did his inspection, his heart slowing down. He stared at this boy, his mind racing. Could he actually be...his son?

When he thought of how Hiccup would have looked before, he imagined a boy much like himself. Big and bulky, able to rip his enemies in half and subdue storms. He imagined him wrestling with Snotlout and sweeping Ruffnut and Astrid off their feet at the same time. This boy did not look like that at all. He looked like he would rather sit beside Fishlegs and read than set sail out to sea and conquer. He looked like...he was a runt.

But then again, so had Valka. Valka had been the runt of their generation and when Hiccup was born, he obviously followed that trait. His hands moved slowly, tracing the outlines and intricacies of their weapons, like they fascinated him. He shook his head, much like Valka had when she was focused on something and wanted her hair out of her way. He gingerly put down on mace and began looking at Ingrid's axes. He scrunched up his nose, like Valka did when she concentrated, and snorted.

Oh Thor Almighty...

"Ye like that one, eh?" Gobber got his attention and the boy looked their way, focusing on his best friend. "Made those the day Astrid was born as a gift. Had to get Johann to travel all the way to the other side of Midgard just to get the right wood and everything." Hiccup blinked and then, in an event that hit Stoick harder in the stomach than the tail end of a Gronkle, he smiled.

He smiled Valka's smile.

* * *

 **Okay, I know that I had brought out that just hearing from Astrid that Hiccup is Stoick's son is not a good enough testimony to prove that Hiccup really is...well, Hiccup. But here's the thing...**

 **I COULD NOT THINK OF ANYTHING THAT WOULD PROVE THAT IN THE VIKING TIME PERIOD.**

 **AT ALL.**

 **I mean, nowadays you just go get a paternity test and BOOM! You ARE the father.**

 **Not so much in the viking days. I considered using the stuffed dragon Valka made Hiccup and the blanket as proof, but that is basically the same thing as just saying "yeah, Stoick, guess who did not die? Your son. (and wife but right now we won't mention that)."**

 **Then it hit me while I was in a pretzel induced hallucination (long story), VALKA. It always come back to her. Stoick loved Valka so much, that he would remember every little thing he found adorable (and adorably annoying). And in this story, Valka raised Hiccup on her own. So that would mean that a lot of what Valka does (scrunching up her nose, shaking her hair, etc) would be picked up by Hiccup, who watched her constantly and learned to do the same.**

 **He does these things enough in Stoick's presence, with the added impact of having Valka's smile and looking like a scrawny mix of Valka and Stoick and I got my proof...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **LOOK, IT MAKES TOTAL SENSE OKAY!?**


	15. Chapter 15

**Before we get this chapter started, I'd like to address something. So far, all of the reviews I've received have been marvelously supportive! Some have been offering me kind words, encouragement, even some really constructive criticism on spelling and grammar and whatnot (really, keep giving me those and please feel free to point out any mistakes, they actually help a lot and I do go back and check for those). However, I have received TWO reviews talking about my choice in rating this story M, for mature audiences.**

 _Guest chapter 14 . Jul 4_

 _Unless you put some really explicit content out there (which I doubt you will), you can honestly change the rating to T like another reviewer pointed out. Haha, I hope I'm not weird for reading your reviews...? *wants to slink away* ...Anyways, doing so would let your story become more available to potential readers as they first click on the HTTYD fandom and your story is on the front page after a recent update. FFnet weird conditions - for the sake of young readers I guess, stories are automatically shown when T and under; you have to change the rating to see the rated M stories. New readers might not even realize that they can change the rating to see your summary and thus get hooked to your wonderful story! I also can't wait for prime Hiccup and Stoick interaction because I just recently rewatched YouTube clips of HTTYD 1 and 2 and smashed the feels train right into a cliff. Woe is me, woe is them. Please continue your great work!_

 **And**

 _Phoenix373 chapter 12 . Jul 3_

 _This could be rated t._

 **First off,**

 **Despite what my account says, I have actually been on Fanfiction for SEVEN YEARS. I started back on June 08, 2009 and have JUST past my seven year mark. So I am WELL aware of how Rating works on here. All the reviews I have received on my stories that are currently on Fanfiction amount to 1,753 reviews. I have written, on my own, thirty stories in nine different fandoms. I have also written original pieces that are not posted on Fanfiction, but can be found on Wattpad and DeviantART. I am VERY aware of how Rating works.**

 **I have also read more fan fiction than I will ever care to admit, not all of it is in my favorites. I have read everything from rated K+ to Rated M+. I have seen and written stories where the characters meet one time and then JUMP right into the explicit content. I have also seen and written stories where the explicit content starts subtly, like a virus...that slowly but surely takes over until it's the only thing you see and think of. So, NO. This story's rating will NOT change, because while I have plans, Guest and Phoenix373.**

 **Never trust the beginnings of my stories.**

 **I will describe everything, every detail, every thought and feeling of your favorite characters as they go through with their dreams and endure their nightmares. I will make it so that every time you see a picture of Hiccup or watch anything pertaining to HTTYD, you remember this fanfiction like you would remember the taste of your own blood. I will build these relationships so sweetly and gently, it will be like a slap to your face. I will type out your dreams and paint your nightmares. I will burn everything you love and cry alongside you and as you watch your ships burn to the ground, then and only then will you realize why the most dangerous weapon of all**

 **IS**

 **THE**

 **PEN.**

 _Enjoy._

* * *

Hiccup, meet Berk

It was him.

It was him!

Oh Sweet Odin above, it was HIM!

Here, twenty years after Stoick had watched him be carried off in the arms in of his mother while she was clutched in the claws of that four winged devil, here he was. His eyes as bright as the day he was born, looking healthy and strong and courageous as he bounded about the house that he had been born in. Hiccup tore through the dining room, going through the cupboards and sniffing every jar and barrel. He squawked and chirped, climbing up exposed pillars with practiced ease and exploring crawl spaces. Stoick laughed as he grabbed him before he could jump off the staircase, "easy there, son. Don't want you hurtin' yerself." He was relatively easy for Stoick to pick up as long as he didn't squirm.

Of course, it was Hiccup and, as Stoick would soon learn, he loved to squirm and claw and climb onto the shoulders of bigger creatures just to get into things he should not. Letting out a good natured laugh, Stoick grabbed the hyperactive feral man and set him on the ground, "down, son. You'll have plenty of time to explore the house later, for now, we need to talk."

"Talk? I like talk! I like speaking viking talk! Viking talk is weird!" Astrid pushed her own way into the hut as Toothless also bounded in, doing exactly what Hiccup had done before, except knocking heavier and bigger things over as he sniffed his Brother in Heart's new nest.

"Not about that, Hiccup...and it's called Norse."

"...N...nooo...norrrr...tssssh." Astrid sighed, as Hiccup sounded out the new word he had just learned. Though, if she remembered correctly, Valka had said he always had a hard time saying "Norse" for some reason.

"You'll get it eventually, Hiccup. Right now, your dad needs to talk to you about our plan, remember?" Hiccup shook his head rapidly, calming himself down in a strictly Night Fury manner.

"Right! Sky Eyes' plan! I remember now, it is important...we must stop bad queen bad from bad plan bad." Stoick glanced over to Astrid, who realized that she had just been chosen as the impromptu translator for his still wild son.

"We have a plan to stop the Dragon Queen in Helheim's Gate from raiding. Hiccup says that he found out that she's been raiding villages more and more for food to accumulate energy for something...something big, and ultimately, dangerous." Hiccup hissed and clicked, chittering on in a way that reminded Stoick of Terrible Terrors and Fireworms. "The dragons that are attacking villages all come from the same nest, the one near Helheim's Gate, but recently dragons from different nests have been joining her attacks. It looks like she snags any wandering dragon and enslaves them so they can help provide her with food." Hiccup clicked several times before shrieking, "not long ago, Hiccup began finding dragons from his nest aiding in the raids. He can break their hold, but for every dragon Hiccup sets free, the Dragon Queen gains four more. The only way to stop her is to kill her. Then, the other dragons will disperse...some to their original nests and some to new nests..." Stoick nodded and sat down at the table with Hiccup and Astrid following suit. Hiccup chose to sit closer to Astrid, purring slightly. "Hiccup, pay attention."

"Am paying attention...but like paying attention to mate more." She blushed and grumbled, praying to Odin, Frejya, and any other God that Stoick had not heard that.

He did, but chose not to acknowledge it, "I know. That's why we must find the nest and take it down. I can have messengers sent by sunrise to ask other tribes to gather with us, then we can set off for Helheim's Gate and destroy the dragons." Hiccup suddenly snarled, violently, setting his father with a gaze so hot that the flames of a Monstrous Nightmare dimmed in comparison. Astrid tried to jump in before he could speak, but Hiccup beat her to it.

"No kill! Only bad queen bad! I will not help if you hurt them!" Stoick, just as quick to anger as his son, glared.

"How could you say that, Hiccup? They have killed hundreds of us!"

"You have killed thousands of us!"

"Enough!" Astrid put her hand on Hiccup's shoulder, making him look at her. Her blood froze. He did look feral. His eyes were bright with rage and his face was scrunched up in a fierce sneer. His muscles were taunt and his chest was heaving. Though, now that Astrid looked...it was kind of hot.

More on that later, though.

Astrid began purring out soothingly in Dragon Tongue, _"viking father scared yes yes. Must protect viking nest must protect viking family. No bad no. Teach viking father teach viking family. Stop bad queen bad. No fight no viking family yes yes."_ As she spoke, Hiccup began to visibly calm and blushed with embarrassment. He nuzzled her cheek in an apology and sighed.

"Am sorry...not angry...Dad..." Astrid looked at Stoick, who nodded as if Hiccup should be sorry.

"Chief, Hiccup was raised _with_ dragons. He considers Toothless," she pointed to the aforementioned black dragon, who was watching the conversation from atop his perch on the high beams," to be his brother. He's watched hatchlings hatch, flown in the skies with Monstrous Nightmares, and he's wrestled with Zipplebacks and Terrors. He can't just kill a dragon...not when it can be avoided...now, Hiccup, care to continue explaining?" Hiccup huffed and clicked again once. "Right. So, Hiccup has been to the Nest and can lead vikings to it. The problem is that taking down the Queen is not going to be easy." He clicked again, "she's...the second biggest dragon he's ever seen."

"Second...biggest...?"

"It's a long story, we'll explain later...anyway, normal methods won't take it down. If we want to get rid of it, we'll need something more than catapults and swords..." Stoick sighed.

"It can't be that big." Hiccup hissed and now, even Toothless had begun to grumble about the foolishness of his Brother in Heart's viking father.

"Trust me, Chief, it's big. If Hiccup says it's big, it's usually big."

"Have ye ever seen it, lass?"

"Not me...Hiccup won't let me go too close." Which was true. He had been adamant that Astrid would never fly in that direction, not until they were all ready to fight the Queen. "But this is coming from the boy who willingly goes to Changewing Island and plays hide and seek with the hatchlings, I'm going to assume it's not to be messed with."

"Alright, so if you're saying we need more than our weapons, what else is there." Before Astrid could answer, Hiccup did.

"Dragons."

* * *

Astrid walked a path she had not walked in almost a year. Stormfly followed closely, refusing to remain in the cove or with Hiccup when Astrid walked around this unfamiliar place. Said nadder chittered nervously as she caught the faint scent of dragon blood wafting from the ground and Astrid turned slightly to stroke her snout, mumbling soft reassurances that they were safe and no one would harm her while Astrid was around. After Hiccup had revealed their plan to Stoick (on his own, mind you), it all seemed to fall into place.

After the short blow up between Hiccup and Stoick, Astrid was a bit nervous with the idea of leaving them alone together, even for a night. But, Hiccup had slipped out right after dinner to fly with Toothless and Stoick had said he'd be sleep before the boy returned. She took this time of silence to reflect on what had happened so far. It seemed like it had gone by so fast, but Astrid knew it had been more than half a year now since she had last been on Berk. _"Tired yes yes? Sleep soon yes yes..."_ Stormfly yawned.

"Almost home, Stormfly..." Astrid was too sleepy to remember the correct wording and sentence structure for Dragon Tongue. She rounded the corner and bumped into something hard. "Ugh!"

"Easy, Babe, don't need to pretend to bump into me. I knew you were waiting, so I hurried over." Of course, because the Gods did not hate her enough, she had to run into Snotlout. Hiccup's little display of affection to her (not to mention the fact that he growled whenever Snotlout came near Astrid) had done nothing to deter the muscular viking from his flirtations. Astrid had even figured out that he was flirting with all the girls in their group on a schedule! He went for Camicazi in the mornings, Astrid in the afternoons, and Ruffnut in the evenings. It was pure madness, really. Stormfly grumbled draconic insults his way as she stomped over to the well, sniffing it.

"Not in the mood right now, Snotlout. Go away," Astrid hissed, following the Nadder and lowering the bucket so she could get her some fresh water. Of course, when has Snotlout ever listened? He sauntered after her.

"Aw, what is it, Babe? Finally got tired of that annoying supposed cousin of mine?"

"Don't you have to go and bother Ruffnut?"

"Ruffnut? She's decided that she's had her fill of the Snot-master-"

 _"Bad name stupid name good for viking stupid viking."_ Astrid snorted as Stormfly insulted him without Snotlout even realizing it.

"What'd she say?"

"She said that name suits you perfectly."

"See? Even this dumb dragon can see my awesomeness." That earned him a near spine to the head, but Astrid was able to soothe Stormfly before she killed him. They didn't need anyone seeing that...she can save it for later.

"Anyway, Ruffnut's in for the night. All my sexy tired her out."

"Right, right...Tuffnut tried to slam an ax into your skull, didn't he?" He'd tried it before, but that was when Snotlout had just started to flirt with both Astrid and Ruffnut.

"Well...there was that, but that's not the point. The point is, when are you going to just give into your feelings and accept my proposal?"

"Let's see..." Astrid put her hand to her chin, and looked to the sky. "Hmmm...I think that...I would rather...ahh, yeah. I would rather...eat Toothless' regurgitated fish than marry you. Yep, that sounds about right...does that sound about right, Stormfly?" Stormfly purred than shrieked before preening herself. "Yep...that's about right." Snotlout glared at her and she glared back.

"What and you'll just marry Dragon Boy back there?"

"Y'know what? Yeah, I am. We'll beat this Dragon Queen and then I'll explain to Hiccup exactly what a viking marriage is. He has a pretty good idea already, but once he really gets what it means, he'll jump at the chance to have one."

"And your parents? You think they'll really just let you marry some guy who's lived with the greatest enemy of vikings? Please, even if he does help us get rid of the nest, even if he is right about dragons, there's no way anyone-let alone the great Hofferson clan-will let him marry their daughters. And once he realizes that, that freak will just fly back to wherever he came from and then you'd better be at that alter when I get there." Astrid had begun to see red as soon as he started talking and by the time Snotlout was done, her fist was ready. She slammed it, with all of her rage, straight into his chin. Before, she had simply been annoyed each time, now she was furious. Snotlout felt his body arch into the air and he barely let out a grunt before he skidded at least five feet away from where they had been standing. Stormfly let out an ear piercing shriek, causing candles and torches to be lit in homes as vikings rushed out, ready for a raid...but coming face to face with something some people would call worse.

A pissed off Astrid. She stood above Snotlout, who was groaning and massaging a broken jaw. Blood and teeth lay scattered near him. Stormfly hissed, her wings out and her spikes ready to fire, clearly agitated by Astrid's anger. Whoever this viking is, he had been distressing her rider since they met him and, since Astrid attacked him, that must mean he was either an enemy or a male who could not understand no.

"Listen here, Jorgenson!" Astrid voice boomed across a quiet crowd, whom had gathered to see what had gone on, "even if Hiccup does leave for some reason, even if my parents and all of Berk rejects him just because of who he is and where he's grown up, I will _never_ marry you. You could prove yourself to be the best viking since the dawn of time, you could move the stars to replace the sun and moon, you could take down the entire nest by yourself, I will still say no! And, if Hiccup leaves because my parents reject him or the village rejects him, then know that ** _I'll be leaving with him_** , got it?!" Without waiting for an answer, Astrid swung herself onto Stormfly's back and nudged her for take off, "and by the way, if you _ever_ talk to me that way again, I'll make you Stormfly's new toy!" Stormfly hissed threateningly, confirming Astrid's promise, before running forward and shooting off into the air.

* * *

"That son of a-"

 **THWACK!**

"Cannot believe-"

 **SHRING!**

"I ought to-"

 **SLICE!**

"CHOKE HIM WH-"

 **CRASH!**

"WITH HIS OWN BALLS!"

 **CRACK!**

Astrid stomped up to the tree she had been obliterating for the past hour and a half. Stormfly had, wisely, stayed off to the side, preening her scales while cautiously watching her rider swear and curse in a way that, even a dragon, knew was very unladylike. But, like Stormfly, Astrid was a warrior...and thus, was allowed to do so. The blonde viking tore her ax out of the tree before spinning and aiming for the next. Before she could stop herself, the ax embedded itself in the bark and, thus, made the suddenly appearing Hiccup let out a yelp.

He, thankfully, had ducked just in time.

"Hiccup!"

"...Mate is scary when angry...will never make angry..." He gulped, looking at her with a weird expression. That was right, Astrid realized, he's almost never seen her use her ax. This was probably a revelation for him. The feral boy cautiously walked over, crouching in a way that Astrid recognized from other dragons who had made the Alpha angry.

Cautious submission.

She sighed, calming down, "it's okay, Hiccup. It's not you I'm mad at." Hearing this, Hiccup stood up a bit straighter, still wary. " _Love Rides the Night love not angry love happy yes angry yes no Rides the Night._ "

"But...still angry?" He stuck to Norse, which surprised her. He usually immediately replied in Dragon Tongue. She sighed and dropped the ax, kicking it to Stormfly. The Nadder immediately took it and put it next to Astrid's bag.

"Yes."

"At...who?"

"Snotlout." Hiccup grumbled, dawning an irritated look. He probably didn't like the idea of Snotlout even crossing her path, let alone being close enough to anger her. She nodded.

"The idiot just...said some things that made me really, really angry...but don't worry, when you see him tomorrow, you'll see what happened after." He gave her a suspicious look before glancing down at her hand and hissing angrily.

"Hurt!"

"Wha-?" She looked at her hands. She must have hit him harder than she thought, because her knuckles were split and bruised. She could even see a little blood. "Oh, right...Yeah, but he got it worse."

"No, bad Sky Eyes! No hurt!" Hiccup snatched up her hands and sniffed them. "Sky Eyes blood."

"Huh...thought it was Snotface's..."

"Snot...face?"

"My name is Astrid, you call me Sky Eyes. His name is Snotlout, I call him...Snotface, Snotbrain, Snotmouth..."

"Funny, but no hurt Sky Eyes." Then Hiccup did something she never expected. He began to lick her knuckles.

"Hiccup!" Ignoring her flushed red face or her protest, he continued to lick her knuckled until all the blood was gone. He pouted at the bruises and glared at her.

"No more hurt, Sky Eyes. Even if Speaks Like Fool hurt, no hurt Sky Eyes." She finally grasped what he was saying a bit better. Hiccup...was scolding her for hurting herself. He was saying Snotlout wasn't worth her pain. She gave him a small smile.

"Of course you'd say that...alright, I promise, I won't hurt myself like that again..." He gave her a grin and nuzzled her cheek. "...How'd you know I'd be here...?"

"Vikings."

"Right...ugh, I'll never hear the end of this."

"No."


	16. Chapter 16

**I understand that** **at** **TIMES Hiccup's way of speech can be confusing, it can be just as difficult for me to WRITE as it can be for you to READ! That being said, unfortunately, it will not be changing in the near future. Look at it this way, YES...Hiccup did live with his MOTHER who speaks perfect Norse. HOWEVER, she was the only person in the vicinity who spoke PERFECT Norse for the first 20 years of his life. And, more than likely, Valka would have spoke in Dragon Tongue because, not only did Hiccup live with her, but so did CLOUDJUMPER and TOOTHLESS who understand Norse, but can just as easily get confused with Norse as Astrid can get with Dragon Tongue.**

 **I am getting SICK and TIRED of getting guest reviews harping about making changes to my story, really sick and tired of it. I spend a lot of time on this story, so much that it's taken over my time from updating my other stories. So, any more comments on making changes that involve:**

 **-Rating**

 **-Personal characteristics incorporated into the story**

 **-Plot development**

 **-etc**

 **That are in a review that is NOT tied to an actual account (meaning Guest Reviews) will be deleted and ignored.**

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

Move Mountains

The morning spread across the sky in the same way it did when they were at the nest, so that provided some comfort to Hiccup as he and Toothless shot through the skies, racing the day once more. They had not done so in a while, too focused on Astrid and the _bad queen bad_ to really sacrifice any rest to their most treasured morning routine. Hiccup had been out most of the night, choosing to sleep in the cove with Toothless rather than alone on a viking bed. So far, his arrival here had been met with...expected trepidation. The few vikings he had met so far were wary of him and he of them.

Honestly, Hiccup really wished he was home. At least there, he knew how to act and what was expected of him. Here, it was just so confusing. Astrid tried to explain, but there were obviously some parts that were just lost on him. Toothless began to tilt forward, signalling a descent, and Hiccup subconsciously followed suit. He flattened himself against his brother's back as he glided down to an sleeping Berk, riding the low winds until they reached the chief's nest and landed on the top of it. Hiccup slid off Toothless and grumbled.

 _"Faster than sun faster than day."_

 _"Victorious yes yes! Faster than day faster than sun."_ Toothless settled down and they watched the sun continue its rise. _"Miss racing sun...miss nest...miss home yes yes..."_ Hiccup looked at Toothless. If he was uncomfortable here, Toothless must be miserable. They both could smell the blood soaked in the ground of both viking and dragon. Berk glowed with the cold light of death and fear. But Astrid held out hope for it and some small part of Hiccup did as well. On their way here, before they had bumped into the other vikings, Astrid had talked animatedly about Berk, describing it with the same passion that Hiccup described his nest.

Toothless, though, had little connection here and yet came anyway. Hiccup twisted around and bumped his cheek against Toothless', comforting him. _"Miss home...miss mother...miss Father-In-Heart...miss alpha yes yes...love Brother-In-Heart happy grateful good happy love."_

 _"Love Brother-In-Heart love happy yes good safe good."_ Having reassured Toothless of his never-ending love for him, Hiccup leaned back and closed his eyes.

Berk could wait a bit longer. He needed some sleep.

* * *

Stoick awoke that day with a light feeling in his chest. Ever since Hiccup and Valka had been taken, every day seemed to be longer than the last with what felt like a boulder in his chest where his heart should be. To discover that Hiccup was alive and would lead them to the Nest was like a hammer to that boulder, pounding away at it all night until nothing more than a pebble remained. He stretched, yawned, and went upstairs.

Hiccup was not there.

Had the boy stayed out all night? Was that normal for him? How did he expect to get any sleep if he was out every night? Stoick sighed and went outside to look for him. Perhaps he had gone to Astrid's, he had come around looking for the lass. Which made Stoick wonder about the nature of his relationship with the Hofferson girl. It was no secret that the Hoffersons were a very proud family, even after that whole fiasco with Finn Hofferson. And Astrid seemed to be coveted by many of the men of Berk and even some in other tribes.

Had she captured Hiccup's eye like those men? Was he attracted to her beauty or was it more than that? Had he seen something in her that made her differ from the vikings he must still perceive as a threat? Had she somehow broken through the fog of dragon smoke to lead him home to him?

Stoick was stirred from his thoughts as Gobber hobbled up the path, calling his name. "Stoick, ya should'a seen it last night. Astrid-"

"Yes, yes, Gobber. Before that, have ye seen Hiccup anywhere?" The blacksmith shrugged. Once they brought the lad back to the village, dragon in tow, they had dragged him off immediately to the chief's house. He had barely gotten out a "night" before the scamp was gone. Stoick sighed, in an effort to keep the village from rioting/panicking over his son's pet Night Fury, he had rushed them and the dragon to his home for the night. He was just glad it was near midnight when Hiccup decided that staying in for so long was not his forte.

"He's been out all night. What if something has happened or he's lost or-"

"Stoick, the boy was raised-" Gobber looked around for any extra listeners-"by dragons. I think he can handle being alone at night."

"Aye, but what if one of the villagers caught sight of him and he's in the cells?"

"Ye would've been woken for that, Stoick. He's probably off with his-"again, another glance-"dragon and will be back before ye know it."

"Still-"

"Morning," Astrid came over the hill with that same Nadder still following her. It seemed to be everywhere she went nowadays, it even waited outside last night. She was bright eyed and alert, not unusual...but Stoick had kind of expected her to be somewhat tired.

"Astrid! I was just talkin' about ye." She rolled her eyes.

"You and everyone else in the village, Gobber..."

"Gothi says ye shattered Snotlout's jaw." That caught Stoick's attention.

"Shattered?"

"Aye, it's swelled up to the size of a mace now. Ruffnut won't stop laughin' about it."

"What'd he do this time, lass?" Astrid sighed.

"Oh, you're gonna love this. I'm walking Stormfly-" the Nadder perked up at her name, then returned to sniffing the ground for some reason, "home when I bump into Snotlout and he starts his usual thing of being-"

"Annoying."

"An ass, yes. Anyway, I tell him to buzz off and then I start to get Stormfly some water and he comes over and starts talking about marrying me. I then tell him to go take a nose dive off a cliff-"

"Naturally."

"-And then he gets all huffy and starts talking about Hiccup."

"What about Hiccup?"

"He's all 'the village will never accept him and your parents will never let you marry him' and that when Hiccup sees that, he'll just fly off and then! Then he decides to order me to be at the alter when that happens. And you know what happened next."

"No, but I'm sure either you, Gobber, or the villagers will be talking about this all week."

"I punched Snotlout in the chin. And now I've apparently shattered his chin. Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Camicazi are still geeking out about it. And Hiccup found me afterwards and basically told me to not do that again."

"He told you...to not do it again."

"Yep."

"Do I still have a son?"

"Well, the way he worded it was different, so yes." Astrid also had a major blush on her cheeks that Stoick decided was not appropriate to comment on...right now. He silently laughed at the thought of poor Snotlout flying through the air due to an even poorer choice of words. He also assumed it was a pretty bad injury, since Astrid's left hand was bandaged up...definitely not by Gothi though.

"Took care of yer hand yerself there, lass?" Astrid looked down at her bandages and snickered.

"Okay, so...after I punched-"

"Destroyed."

"THANK YOU, Gobber. After Snotlout, I went to woods and Hiccup found me...he saw my hand, told me off for hurting myself, licked away the blood, and bandaged it up." Now Stoick began to laugh.

"That's my boy...speaking of whom, have ye seen him anywhere." Astrid nodded.

"He's on your roof." Stoick looked and saw only the Night Fury, sound asleep with its tail hanging off the edge.

"Lass, he's not-"

"Trust me, he's there."

"Astrid..."

"There is a Night Fury on the roof and where there are Night Furies, there are Hiccups. Trust me on this, these two almost never part." Deciding that, for the time being, Astrid knew more about his estranged son than he did, Stoick decided to take a closer look. Sure enough, once Astrid made a light clicking noise with her tongue, Hiccup appeared from beneath the wings of his beastly friend, responding to her with a few clicks and a shriek. He yawned and jumped down from the roof, landing in an effortless crouch and hurried over, grumbling and yawning. "Morning, Hiccup."

"...Happy morning..."

"Almost! Try "good morning." That's how vikings greet each other in the morning." Hiccup's bleary eyes widened as he took in this information.

"Good morning...Good morning! Good morning!" He kept repeating it until Astrid put her hand on his shoulder, grinning. "Sky Eyes is hungry?"

"No, I ate breakfast with my family. You, on the other hand, need to get _lazy sleep Races the Night lazy_ up and get some breakfast too. Stormfly caught some cod over by the South beach." At the mention of cod, Toothless was up and bounding over, his tail wagging and his tongue lolling out as he roared and grumbled with excitement.

"Food! Yes food! I will hunt!" Hiccup hopped onto Toothless, but before they could start flying off, Stoick stopped them.

"Woah there, son. Why not just come and eat some breakfast with us? There's plenty in the Great Hall." Hiccup blinked and looked at him in wonder.

"What is...Grrrrr...Great...Hawl?"

"Close...Ha-all."

"Ha-all?"

"Good enough."

"What is?"

"See that big building over there?" Astrid pointed down the dusty path to a large viking nest where dozens of vikings came and went repeatedly. Hiccup could smell the food as well as something else. It smelled a lot like the _bitter water sick water_ he had once found in a barrel on an abandoned viking ship. He had drank some, as well as did Toothless, and it made them both incredibly dizzy and silly and they had not been able to fly home straight. Valka had found them hours later (she said Hiccup kept running around flapping his wings like a dragon and roaring out nonsense while Toothless was...singing?) and the next day, they were very sick.

Why did it smell like that there?

"That's called the Great Hall. It's where all the other vikings meet to eat, drink, and spend time together. Your father also meets there with the elder vikings to talk about things like...raids and other viking nests."

"Astrid, he needs to know to call them tribes. Not nests."

"He does know, Chief, it's just easier to explain that way."

"No Hall! Too much! Bad smell, no Hall bad Hall."

"What?"

"Hiccup. Viking speech."

"Uhhhhh...I...do not...wish...to...go..."

"Good. I think it might be best to introduce Hiccup into the tribe slowly too, Chief," Astrid sighed. She could just see how uncomfortable Hiccup was here. It hurt, really it did, because this was where he was born...but Hiccup knew he was different. Hiccup realized that vikings did not take well to different and was probably doing what any other dragon would do when introducing themselves to a new nest.

Hesitating.

He was keeping his distance for the time being and, while Astrid knew they could not do that forever, she'd let him at least do it for a bit longer. Maybe she was being selfish, Astrid mused. Maybe she was letting Hiccup stay aloof because she enjoyed being the only one he was comfortable with, the only one he could turn to...The look Hiccup gave her made Astrid realize that he knew what she was thinking and that he disagreed.

She was not being selfish.

She was being his mate.

She was supporting him and trying to help in the best way possible.

"Hiccup, ye can't avoid the village forever. For this plan of yours to work, we're going to need the people to trust us."

"I know."

"And people know that yer here, so sooner or later-"

"I KNOW!" Hiccup hissed in frustration...then looked at his dad with a sad, conflicted look. "...This is family too...Dragons are family...vikings are family...cannot choose...will not choose...want to meet viking family...want to eat with...want to play with...want to learn with...but cannot...not yet...I am...scared." He leaned down and hugged Toothless' neck, earning a croon from the dragon as he gave him soft words of encouragement in their native tongue. "...Will meet later...want to eat alone...no Father...no mate...please...alone with Toothless..." With that, Hiccup shot off into the sky.

* * *

It was the middle of the afternoon when Hiccup had decided to return to the village. Most people were crowded inside the Great Hall, though not for breakfast this time. A town meeting had been called because the people wanted answers. It had been a full day and a half since the raid that brought Astrid and the missing younger generation back, the Dragon Rider to Berk, and news that the Dragon Rider was supposedly the Chief's long lost son. They had not seen hide nor hair of the boy or his dragon, but had seen Astrid riding a Nadder and also aforementioned Nadder now walked the paths of Berk like it was no big deal.

But it was.

It was something no viking wanted without some sort of semblance of an explanation. Even Astrid's parents knew not of what was going on, and their daughter was in the thick of it.

Hiccup had heard the commotion and snuck inside the building through the side, crawling up the pillar and perching himself in the shadows. Toothless waited on the roof, listening in through the cracks.

"I know, I know things have been a bit...unorthodox as of late, but we are trying to come to terms with what is going on ourselves," Stoick's words did nothing to calm the crowd. An elderly man with an scraggly mustache and crooked teeth hobbled forward with his equally crooked teeth and sneered.

"Unorthodox?! It's outright blasphemy, it is! Ye expect us to believe that the scourge that's been plaguing our skies for months now, that sides with creatures that have been our enemies for the last three hundred years, is the child of yer long dead wife, Valka the dragon lover?" Stoick's eyes blazed in fury at the blatant disrespect for his wife. "I'd sooner believe that sheep will fall from the sky." Hiccup wanted to snort. Even he knew that would never happen. Perhaps this was an example of viking sayings that say one thing but mean something else? "We demand to see the demon lover ourselves and have him tell us he's yer son! And besides, if the dragons are as docile as Ms. Hofferson says they are-" the old man said, sneering at Astrid who returned the look from upon the stage, "then why leave only the boy alive? What about yer wife?"

"I have no answers to that. Since Hiccup is alive, that also brings into question as to if Valka was ever eaten. I intend to find out later, but for now Hiccup is here. He has a way with dragons and knows the way to the nest. He will help us. He seems to believe that if we allow him to teach a small group about what he knows, then we can use the dragons against the nest."

"Use dragons? We never had to hear such lunacy when yer father was in charge."

"Well, my father is long dead, Mildew! And at this point, we have no other options-"

"Sure we do! Bring us the boy, we'll make him tell us where the nest is, and then we'll take it the right way! The viking way!" The resulting cheer made Hiccup sneer. He had to step in now, before these stupid vikings got themselves killed. Creeping cross a support beam that held up the two pillars that held up the roof, Hiccup positioned himself and leaped from his perch, landing in a crouch and causing a cry to erupt from the crowd as he landed in front of the old man.

Standing fully erect, Hiccup looked the man dead in the eye. Mildew felt a shiver go up his spine. It was as if he was staring into the eyes of a night fury. "Looking for me?"

Silence ensued as they took in the visage of this man. He wore his usual armor, made of mainly black scales with a patch of reddish-orange scales on his shoulder. His hair was short, but wild as if rarely brushed and had several tiny braids in his hair. People looked around nervously, trying to see if his Night Fury was also within the room. Mildew shook off his shock and glared, "you! Yer the demon lover!" Hiccup raised an eyebrow.

"Demon...lover?" Astrid sighed.

"It's an insult." He glared and snorted.

"Yeah, it's an insult! Yer siding with those damned dragons and forgoing centuries of viking tradition! And withholding the location of the Nest, keeping us from destroying the dragons and ending this war!"

"Is not dragons you have a war with. Dragon Queen is problem."

"A dragon queen? Now, that's a load of yak dung."

"These viking says are weird. Is not yak dung. Is a Dragon Queen," Mildew did not back down.

"And ye think ye can just walk in here and tell us how to solve our problem."

"...How do you solve it?"

"Why, by taking the nest down and destroying every dragon in sight! Especially Night Furies, ye idiot!" Hiccup snorted, rolling his eyes.

"And how has _that_ solved problem?" Astrid groaned.

She knew it.

He **_DID_** know sarcasm.

Mildew glared and decided to poke the Monstrous Nightmare by shoving his finger into Hiccup's chest, "listen here, boy! Either ye tell us how to get to the nest or we'll have ye executed!" Hiccup, of course, responded like a dragon and let loose a harsh, throaty growl. One that shook bones from the fact that such an Draconian sound was coming from such a human looking package.

"You will **die** if you go near! You will **kill** tribe! You will **kill** dragons! She will not spare you! Not you, not friends, not family! All in her way will **BURN**!" He spoke those words clearly, no question in his mind that he was getting his point across and no room for argument. "You want dragons to stop taking food?"

"Of course we do!"

"No more burning village?"

"Yes!"

"No more taking other vikings?"

"Yes!"

"You want to stop Nest?"

"Yes! See, Stoick? He's finally gettin' it. He'll lead us to the Nest and-"

"NO!" Hiccup's roar echoed through the Hall. The crowd had been strangely quiet while the exchange between Hiccup and Mildew had started. "You will listen! You will learn! If you want to go to Nest, you will come with dragons. Or you will never find it." Hiccup stared him down for a long time, towering over him like an Hideous Zippleback intimidating a threat. Astrid took this time to speak up.

"I'd look the other way, Mildew. Last time something stared into his eyes for too long, it nearly lost one of its eyes." Mildew glanced at her.

"Who lost the eye?"

"A Skrill..."

Mildew sneered at her, earning a sharp hiss from Hiccup.

"Do not look at Mate. Will feed you to Dragon Queen." Hiccup looked up at other vikings and gave them a friendly smile, now ignoring a smoldering Mildew. "Sorry for...not saying...hello...I am a bit...shy...but...I want to help...Berk. I will...teach about dragons...more than you know...now...I will teach to...ride a dragon...only small group...when they can ride...I will lead all of Berk...to Nest. We stop dragon raids by killing Queen." Another viking spoke up.

"That's ridiculous! Ye can't train a dragon to let a viking ride it." Hiccup answered by whistling and receiving a responding shriek. Toothless climbed through the window of the Great Hall and stood behind Hiccup, crouched low and watching each viking as they took a step back. Hiccup gave them a blinding grin.

"You are vikings. You tame seas...move mountains...you can tame dragons..." Hiccup walked down the now open path as Toothless followed him, rumbling. "...If you want...to fly a dragon...come find me tomorrow...then you can...get ready...to fight Nest."


	17. Chapter 17

Release the Beasts

Though Hiccup had stated that he would help Berk by training their warriors to ride dragons, it did not happen for a few days. The boy was just never around. Astrid barely saw him herself and she was his mate! He seemed to be of the wind, appearing only when he felt it necessary and never staying long enough to discuss what he had in mind. Stoick would wake up earlier than ever before to see if he could catch even a glimpse of his son, to varying degrees of success. He'd either fall right back asleep when Hiccup arrived home or Hiccup would just not be there. Finally, he'd had enough and sent out search parties to see if they could track the boy down. Astrid, of course, was hesitant.

"Chief, he's not going to come out if there are people stomping around. If anything, this is going to make it worse."

"We can't just wait for him to be ready. Berk is on it's last leg. We need to start training immediately," he had replied before setting off in the opposite direction of the youth's group. Camicazi nodded in agreement with Stoick. They had just gotten word that the Bog Burglars were coming back to Berk to pick up their wayward heiress and she was sure that her mother would string her up as soon as she saw her. But Camicazi was not interested in leaving Berk just yet. Her sea blue eyes scanned the woods, searching for some sign of the dragon boy's whereabouts.

She was interested in learning to ride a dragon herself. Camicazi had thought long and hard about this, but the opportunities were just too tantalizing to ignore. Imagine, Bog Burglars on the backs of dragons. Camicazi shivered in anticipation. Astrid flew above on that magnificent beast, Stormfly, whom had finally warmed up to Camicazi enough to even let her brush her.

She didn't even know dragons could be brushed!

Ruffnut and Tuffnut argued, loudly, about what Hiccup was probably doing. "You know, with the right guidance, Hiccup would be an amazing Loki follower!" Ruffnut's eyes widened along with the rest of the group's at Tuffnut's observation. Hers, though, was probably not in fear of what the twins would be capable of with Hiccup "Rides a Night Fury and Wrestled With Whispering Deaths" Haddock.

That was a story that had them laughing for days.

"I concur, Dearest Brother. We must find him post haste and induct him into the life of a Loki Devotee!"

"I concur with your statement, Dearest Sister. Onwards!" The twins shot off.

"Ruffnut! Tuffnut! We are not turning Hiccup into a Loki follower!" Astrid flew above them on Stormfly, shouting angrily at the twins as they cackled. Snotlout followed, his jaw still a mite swollen for Hurricane Astrid. Fishlegs sighed and turned to her.

"You think Hiccup probably heard all of that and is now definitely hiding?" Cami shrugged at the blonde boy, smirking.

"Can you imagine, though? Hiccup as a Loki Follower? Stoick would have to fill his helmet with ice from all the headaches he would get." Fishlegs chuckled before they continued on. The two were silent as they continued to track the ever elusive Haddock before Fishlegs broke the silence.

"You know," he began, "they might be right, though."

"Who? The twins?"

"Yeah. Think about it. Hiccup is the definition of a Loki follower. He's mischievous," case in point, half the village was looking for him, "he's smart," he hadn't been caught in three days, "he's cautious," he didn't approach the village for a good few days, "and he can be quite destructive." Camicazi nodded, knowing that anyone who was practically brothers with a Night Fury had to be tough in some way, no matter his scrawny frame. Fishlegs shivered, imagining what kind of horrors the twins could wrought with a Night Fury riding feral dragon boy as their ally. They slowly walked through the woods, quietly listening for any indication of Hiccup.

 _Astrid would have a better chance,_ Camicazi mused. The girl was riding a Nadder, a dragon whose breed was quickly discovered to be an amazing tracker. Not to mention, Hiccup seemed to be at ease traveling by hopping from branch to branch in the trees. Camicazi wondered if he ever touched the ground today.

Hel, he could be watching them right now and they would never have known.

"Maybe we should split up," Fishlegs looked surprised.

"But we already split up with the rest of the group."

"Yeah, but Hiccup doesn't really care for people too much. Maybe even two of us is keeping him away," Camicazi said, thinking back to how Hiccup was when he was surrounded by the younger generation. Sure, he was interested in them, but he would always put on this air of wariness. He never moved far from Toothless or Stormfly or Astrid. He never initiated contact and would much rather be with the dragons than the group. Camicazi wondered if this was shyness or something else entirely. As she walked away from Fishlegs, into the thicker brush, she thought deeply about it.

When she was younger, she was rarely around men. Little girls don't go off Bog Burglar Island very much, not until they are at least twelve. Then they get to go on the ships with their mothers and sisters and Camicazi was no different, heiress or not. When she first came to another viking village, she was shocked to see so many men around her. Sure, she had heard of them and, sure, she had seen a few. But then it was like she was surrounded by men and it made her more than just uncomfortable.

It was downright frightening.

Bog Burglars are not anymore delicate or tactful than any other viking. They were loud and abrasive and they swore and fought. They walked around with arrogant swaggers and felt no compassion for those who showed weakness. They were haughty and could bully and any runt in their midst was ostracized, just like in every other village. But this was too different. There was just so many different men and they all expected her to act a certain way. She shouldn't swear, she should stay home and take care of children, some even approached her mother in hopes of securing a marriage agreement with her (to which they were met with a fist and stern reminder that Camicazi is a BOG BURGLAR, not a possible wife).

She often found herself hiding on the ship or sticking to the older women of her tribe. She didn't try to be too standoffish, but she wasn't overly anxious to be around them. This went on for years until she met the twins and Astrid. Ruffnut and Astrid basically pulled her to their group of friends as Astrid was very similar to her, determined to prove her worth and regain her family's honor after the horrible incident involving her Uncle Finn. Ruffnut was the antithesis of delicate and tactful, often being mistaken for a boy in some cases. They introduced her to Fishlegs, who was so shy and unassuming that Camicazi didn't feel an ounce of wariness with him and would often converse with him. Then to Tuffnut. who was such an adorable idiot that Cami actually thought he was hilarious. Then Snotlout and, while he is annoying, she really just found his flirtations to be a good way to pass the time (and by pass the time, she means she often just hit him, regardless of whether or not they were both heirs.)

Regardless, it was through her friendship with the Berk's youth that allowed her to deal with the fact that the world was filled with rowdy men who expected her to be a cute, sweet, tender wifely girl and that it was her job to make them understand that Hel could freeze over before she did that.

Camicazi snapped her fingers, "of course! That's what we need to do!"

"Do what?" Cami froze. She was so lost in her thoughts that she forgot that she was looking for Hiccup...and stumbled upon him by a steam with Toothless lounging next to him. Both stared at her in expectation for what she would say. The blonde viking girl blinked in surprise. The boy was scratching Toothless and picking at his scales. In return, the Night Fury was sniffing Hiccup's hair and snorting.

"...What are you doing?"

"Groom. Ticks are no good."

"Oh," so they were cleaning each other? Camicazi supposed she should be grateful that didn't include Hiccup stripping down. Then again, as she gazed at his chest that was currently only covered in a tunic, maybe that's a bad thing? She quietly but steadily walked towards them. She stopped when Toothless growled, signalling that she was too close. She sat next to the stream and began talking. "So, the entire village is looking for you."

"I know."

"I thought you did...Hiccup...do you not like it here?" He looked at her confused. She went on, "I'm only asking because I was in a sort of similar situation myself...Bog Burglars, that's my viking nest," she explained as he looked more confused. Thank goodness she paid attention to his terminology, "don't leave our nest until we're twelve years old. It's a nest filled completely with females, barely any males. When I went to another nest, it was filled with both females and males and I didn't like it too much. It...scared me." He turned towards her, listening intently. Even Toothless seemed kind of interested. "I mean, so many men. And they acted a lot like my tribe, but they expected me to act differently. They even tried to ask my mother if I would mate some of their sons."

Hiccup snorted. He didn't get the whole marriage alliance thing. It just was not a thing with dragons.

"Anyway, it wasn't until I met Astrid and Ruffnut that I started to get a bit more comfortable around men. They introduced me to Fishlegs, then Tuffnut, and then Snotlout...I'm just wondering...are you feeling that way too?" Hiccup glanced at the ground and nodded.

"Vikings and dragons are...similar. They are loud...they fight...they love...they do a lot of the sames things...but then...they are different...it is...scary." Toothless warbled sadly. "Brother-In-Heart misses nest. I miss nest. Want to help but...very different." Camicazi decided to chance it and scooted closer.

They allowed it.

"Well, maybe you just need to make some more friends...but slowly."

"Slowly?"

"Yeah, we don't need to befriend the entire village just yet! Okay, so...you already have Astrid."

"Is mate."

"Yeah, but you were friends first, right?"

"...Yes, friends first."

"Good. So she's your mate and your friend." Hiccup smiled, loving this new understanding. Of course, Sky Eyes would be his friend first. His first viking friend.

"Okay, well! Now you've got me!" She put out her hand for a hand shake and he hesitantly took it. "I'm Camicazi! I'm heir to the Bog Burglars nest and I want you to teach me about dragons." The look on Hiccup's face could have blinded the sun. He grinned.

"I am Hiccup. My brother-in-heart is Toothless. I will teach about dragons!" He suddenly got a look on his face. "...Sea Eyes is like Spikey Tail."

"What's that?"

"Errr...umm... _viking speak hard yes yes..._ Natter?"

"A..A Nadder?" He nodded and stood, shaking his head. Toothless followed, crooning happily at Camicazi. Perhaps she had passed his test?

"Come! Come!" The energetic boy was back and he was in the woods in seconds, his dragon following. Camicazi scrambled up and followed shouting for him to slow down while also laughing at his energy.

* * *

So now she stood in the arena. Toothless stood the side, grumbling. Hiccup understood that his brother did not care for the smell of death. He did not either, but this is where his father's Viking nest kept their dragons. After he had spoken with them more and gotten the Vikings more comfortable with them, Hiccup planned to help the dragons find a different sleeping area in the nest. But for now, he must be cautious.

He was already having enough issues with Toothless and Stormfly roaming Berk as they pleased.

Camicazi stood around in slight confusion as he chattered animatedly to the dragons within their cages, doors opened to allow them to roam. She did not know how (she refused to believe that Dragon Tongue could be learnt), but Hiccup seemed to be deep in a conversation currently with the Nadder. Hiccup had opened the cage so that the Nadder could exit if it-he- wanted to. He was a brilliant shade of deep red, almost violet, with big yellow eyes. His spines were off white and he was as pristine as he could be within the conditions he was under.

Speaking of which, while the Nadder was sitting within his cage (why he didn't come out, Camicazi had no idea...Hiccup probably did), Hiccup took the task of getting a bucket of water and a brush. He cleaned the dragon like he had been doing to Toothless earlier, easily chattering as he did so. The Nadder obviously appreciated it as he had begun grooming Hiccup's unruly hair in response, an act that at first made Camicazi cry out in warning due to fearing that he was going to chomp on the boy's head. _"Human dragon smell, yes yes. Why smell dragon Viking smell?"_

 _"Rides the Night nest with dragons yes yes. Love dragons yes yes."_

 _"Rides the Night good name nice name good Viking born. Messy Rides the Night bathe yes yes no?"_ Hiccup snorted.

 _"Bathe yes yes. Races the Night dirty yes."_

 _"Races the Night no dirty no! Rides the Night dirty yes yes!"_

 _"No!"_

 _"Yes!"_

 _"No!"_

 _"YES!"_ The dragon chortled (to Camicazi, it sounded like a growling laugh) as Toothless and Hiccup bickered.

 _"Why Viking female strange Viking female yes? Here why?"_ Hiccup didn't answer immediately but when he did, he made sure to look directly into the Nadder's eyes. Dragons did not tolerate this unless it was a serious matter they were discussing.

 _"Bad nest bad."_ The Nadder hissed, agitated. While here, Hiccup had learned that the captured dragons had broken free of the queen's hold, simply because she did not want to waste the energy controlling dragons who were contained in cages. None of them held any loyalty, only fear and resentment to the tyrannical dragon queen. Answering hisses resounded from the cages around them as the Monstrous Nightmare flared up angrily, evidence of this showing from the smoke that emanated from the cage.

" _BAD **BAD** QUEEN TRAPPED **NO SAFE** BAD **NO NEST** BAD **NEST BAD** **EVIL**!" _ The Zippleback was causing such a ruckus that Camicazi wondered if any of the other Vikings would come and investigate before long. Hiccup crooned, calming them back down as the gronkle whined.

 _"Why come yes why come now why? Bad nest bad close yes yes? Dangerous yes no?"_

 _"Dangerous yes. Bad nest bad close yes. Vikings scared dragons scared. Must stop war must stop queen yes. Vikings learn dragons. See no bad yes yes."_

 _"No Vikings bad yes yes! Mean cruel bad Vikings hurt yes yes! Want free! WANT FREE!"_ The terror was a bit bitter from being cooped up all the time. Each time he was let out, he made it a point to damage someone's face. Tuffnut was his unlucky winner last time, earning plenty of bite marks while he screamed "OW! I'M HURT! I AM VERY MUCH HURT!"

Hiccup crooned at the little guy, opening the cage further to try to coax him back out. He was not having it though, grumbling as he ignored Hiccup. _"No bad no. Scared yes yes. Want free yes yes?"_

 _"YES!"_

 _"Patient good yes."_

 _"...Yes..."_ Finally relenting, the terror crawled over and climbed onto Hiccup's shoulder, resting across his back. _"Am Hisses Like Snake."_

 _"Hiss Like Snake friend yes yes?"_

 _"Yes yes."_ The gronkle waddled out too, a rich chocolate brown with big, friendly yellow eyes.

 _"Am Smells of Meat. Have food yes no?"_

 _"Yes yes! Fish yes hurry yes before Brother in Heart eats all."_

 _"NO FUNNY NO!"_

 _"Yes funny yes."_

 _"NO!"_

 _"YES!"_

 _"Am Scales of Flame."_ The Nadder purred, standing and shaking the residual water off. The Monstrous Nightmare was a dark purple one with shorter horns than the usual red ones. _"Is Roars like Thunder."_

 _"Like names good names yes yes. Help Vikings yes? Must learn yes yes."_

 _"No help no. Cannot help yes yes. Too tired too weak must eat must leave. Come yes? Back to nest."_

Hiccup sighed, he figured as much. Besides the Scales of Flame and, perhaps Smells of Meat, the other dragons didn't give the slightest indication of wishing to stay any longer than needed. Upon his inspection when he had first opened the cages a few days ago and introduced himself, the dragons were tired and hungry. They had been trapped here without constant food or water for the past few years even. Roars like Thunder was right, they were too weak to be good dragons to train with. Plus, Hiss Like Snake, Roars Like Thunder, and the zippleback (who had hissed that they were called _Grumbles like Storm_ and _Roars Like Storm_ ) were much older, nearly titan wing dragons. They wouldn't want to be diving into battle when they were so tired.

He needed younger dragons.

He smiled at them, _"no leave no. Need to help Viking yes yes. Can go yes...Hisses like Snake Grumbles like Storm Roars like Storm Roars like Thunder going to Alpha yes yes?"_

 _"Yes Alpha's Nest yes safe good nest safe nest good Alpha praise Alpha!"_ Hiccup suddenly had an idea. He knew exactly who to ask for help.

 _"Roars like Thunder can help yes! Need Fangs Like Hooks! Need Smells of Barf! Need Sounds like Belch! Can ask yes yes? Need help yes."_

 _"Can ask will ask yes. Send here yes yes."_

 _"Races the Night happy yes happy yes grateful yes good Roars like Thunder wise praise Roars like Thunder!"_

 _"Eat first than leave yes? Go to nest after food yes yes."_

With that matter settled, Hiccup finally turned his attention back to Camicazi, who had stood there for the better part of an hour, listening to them screech and chatter and hiss amicably like they had been friends since they were all born. The gronkle paid her little mind, more focused on the assortment of rocks and fish provided. The Monstrous Nightmare had glanced over once or twice before deciding that Camicazi was not worth the attention like the food was. The Zippleback ignored her completely. The Terror had hissed each time she wondered about approaching. And Toothless?

Well, just because he allowed her near Hiccup did not mean that she was allowed near him, it seems.

However, that Nadder seemed to look over at her a lot, cocking its head curiously. Hiccup had finally finished the hour long grooming session (Camicazi decided that these dragons must groom constantly) and had moved over to the other dragons, picking off dried scales and bathing them, even if they grumbled that they did not need it. Finally, the Nadder had enough of its curiosity and stood, slowly approaching.

Now, Camicazi had known that this Nadder had been newly caught after the last one died. He had been caught in a raid before Stoick had sent Astrid's doomed group out to recruit help for the hunt for the nest and hadn't been through dragon training just yet. So he was relatively okay, if a bit dirty before and maybe hungry. But obviously, Hiccup _had_ been in the village if he knew them so well already.

Damned boy must've just hid when they checked the arena.

The Nadder stepped closer, cautious of this strange Viking girl, sniffing. Camicazi froze, resisting the urge to reach for her sword. He stared at her, making sure she stayed out of his blind spot, and she stared right back. And that is when the attack came, not from the front but from the sides...

From the Hiccup and Toothless Camicazi didn't even know where there. Hiccup grinned at her, "Is called Scales of Flame. Is a male nadder. He is curious."

"Curious? Of me? Umm...curious like "she seems nice" or curious like "I'm gonna eat this" kind of curious?" Hiccup stared at her blankly, totally confused by the way she had worded it. "Is he going to eat me or is he trying to be friends?"

"OH! Friends yes yes!" Hiccup turned to the dragon, Scales of Flame, " _want friend yes yes? Is Sea Eyes! Is nice Viking want to learn dragons yes yes."_

 _"...Is pretty Viking like pretty Viking yes friend yes no?"_ Hiccup turned back to Camicazi.

"He likes Sea Eyes! Friends yes?"

"...He is a really pretty nadder."

 _"Says Scales of Flame is pretty."_

 _"Friend yes."_

Hiccup clacked happily as he grabbed Camicazi's arm, "HICCUP! What are you doing?!"

"Trust me!" He held Camicazi's arm out to Scales of Flame and clacked at her, making Cami look at him. "No look. You must trust him."

"...What if he bites?"

"No bite. Like Sea Eyes. Scales of Flame is a," a warm feeling spread across her hand as the nadder's snout rested against her palm, "friend." And, in that moment, Camicazi believed that she had truly just made her first male friend.

"...Scales of Flame, huh? I think I can think of a cooler name...How about Burnscale?"

* * *

 **JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT I DIED, HUH?**

 **Well, I apologize for the long and spontaneous hiatus, but adulating is not an easy thing to do. Lesson learned: Do Not Grow Up because when you do, then you had to socialize and interact with the worst possible creatures.**

 **People.**

 **And do you guys know what people do?**

 **They destroy your dreams and eat your ice cream.**

 **Anywho, I decided to make this new chapter more Camicazi centered instead of this being just the Hiccup and Astri-(gets glared at)-the Astrid and Hiccup show-(gets growled at)- WITH A GUEST APPEARANCES FROM TOOTHLESS AND STORMFLY!** (No one is ever fuckin' happy in this damn place) **Even though I never read the books, I like Camicazi's character and wanted to give a glimpse into her life. I assume that living as a Bog Burglar is hard, even if it is basically a feminist Viking village. I thought it would be a good idea to include what traditions she might have to follow or fight with within the Viking world (like marriage or travels...YES I KNOW THAT VIKINGS NEVER FORCED PEOPLE INTO MARRIAGES, SHUT UP). I wanted to do that to make it all the more sweeter that she chose to bond with Burnscale, a male nadder, instead of one of the three female dragons (the Monstrous Nightmare, the Zippleback, and the Gronkle). I plan to make Burnscale's relationship with Camicazi similar to Astrid's relationship with Stormfly.**

 **I mean that, while Stormfly and Astrid are the best of buddies, Burnscale and Camicazi will be less like friends and more like siblings, with Burnscale being overly protective and Camicazi doting on him in a way similar to the way I do to my cat, Molly.**

 **Anyhow, we will return to our regularly scheduled Hiccstrid the next chapter.**

 **Now, I had some trouble figuring out how I would get Barf and Belch and Hookfang to Berk, since they didn't leave originally and we still had dragons in that damned arena. Not to mention how was I going to get Meatlug? I never mentioned her, which is weird since she's my third favorite dragon (she's so adorable). Then I remembered, I can just say that Meatlug is already on Berk and the dragons that are there might just be older dragons who haven't been killed yet. I know someone's gonna mention how Berk had the winner of the Dragon Training lessons kill the Nightmare, but it's not too far out for Berk to catch an older, Titan Wing Nightmare for someone to kill the next time.**

 **Thanks to Hiccup though, Roars Like Thunder gets to live for so much longer and we will get to see her again later in the book, happy and healthy.**

 **Talk to you guys later and next time, bring burritos.**


End file.
